Olympic football teams need US$165k

TT Football Association (TTFA) board member Richard Quan Chan is hoping to get funding within the next two weeks to make this country’s participation in the 2020 Olympic football qualifiers possible.

Yesterday, at a press conference, at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Quan Chan pleaded with corporate TT to come forward. The men’s football qualification round one will be held from August 17 to 21 and the women’s qualification will he held in October. The countries where the men’s and women’s qualification will be held have not been determined yet. The TT teams need a total of $165,000 US for the preliminary phase of the Olympic qualifiers.

Quan Chan said, “We are having a lot of financial problems. The process of trying to get support and sponsors on board is ongoing and it is not an easy process at this time. I am sure that you will be aware that the TTFA is trying to become self sufficient, so we will not have to be dependent on Government and strong sponsorship to participate in any tournament.”

Quan Chan said taking part in a football tournament is expensive and they are in a race against the clock.

“We are quickly running out of time and I don’t see us going past the next two weeks without any solid word that we have sponsorship to participate in the Olympic qualifiers at this time. We want the public to understand that football at this level is an expensive thing and we the TTFA is not in a position at this time to support it and we welcome any sponsor, any corporate citizen who believes in the efforts and the players we have that could lend us some support so we could take a team to the Olympic Games.”