THA gives $30k to netballers for trials, awaits documents from coach

A cheque for $30,000 has been cut by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to offset costs for a team of 11 youth netballers travelling to Trinidad this weekend for national team trials.

This was confirmed by THA assistant secretary for community development, youth development and sport Wane Clarke, who said the squad received the funds on Thursday for their trip.

The money also helped reimburse the coaches and athletes for their first trip to Trinidad, one weekend ago, for the first phase of trials.

The cheque was presented to Tobago netball coach Kyla Keith, who will accompany the six under-16 and five-under-18 netballers to Trinidad.

This comes after Keith posted to Facebook earlier this week asking the public for financial aid for the team’s travel. When Clarke was made aware of the post, he said it was previously agreed that the group would pay their way and be reimbursed by the THA when they returned to Tobago.

He expressed shock with the coach’s attempt to solicit funds from the public and questioned if she returned to social media to share her receipt of the cheque.

Clarke said, “I was working on making sure they got the cheque because I and the coach had an arrangement that even though they spent their money, that they would be reimbursed. I didn’t see the need for all that Facebook posting, but that’s some people nature.”

Clarke said he still awaits the official document from Keith, which invited the players to Trinidad for the trials.

“She got the cheque but is yet to submit the original papers they supposedly got, to get called for national trials. Up to now it has not been submitted.

“I gave them a commitment to get the cheque and they got it. She now has to honour her part of the arrangement and come with the document saying they were invited to Trinidad for the trials,” he said.