Football world, here they come!
Ten new coaches from T&T have been added to Fifa's coaching directory and will be eligible to serve as match officials locally, regionally and internationally.
At a ceremony, hosted by the T&T Football Association's (TTFA) Referees Committee, held at the VIP Lounge at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Woodbrook, on March 25, the referees in training were presented with their credentials.
TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee and Brian Lewis, president of the T&T Olympic Committee witnessed the graduation.
It has been almost a decade since a local referee was elevated to this rank and a similar duration since T&T qualified for the Fifa World Cup.
Ramesh Ramdhan, former Fifa referee and head of the TTFA's facilitation team, described the graduation as, "a night that gives me great joy. We have looked at the Fifa list. We have not had a referee for more than a decade. To have ten now says something, it says something about our instructors and assessors. You have just started your climb to the mountain. There are a lot more opportunities with so much more tournaments.
"The road to success is not paved in gold. It is not an easy road. It will test your ability and stamina. Have integrity. The Fifa hand book talks about integrity against match fixing and all that. But I am talking about integrity that must include your ability to be fit. Part of your integrity is that you are properly prepared or prepare to fail. Hard work and dedication always pays," Ramdeen added.
He recalled the difficult climb made before officiating a game. He was in possession of his credential almost a decade before.
Being made to wait, said Ramdhan, was deliberate as certain forces felt he was not ready for the world stage. But despite the struggles and battles that confronted lovers of the game like him before, Ramdhan was proud that today's list of certified local referees had it a lot easier to ascend.
He said: "Referees are made of serious mettle. You are the toughest person on the field. It's not just the fans at the stadium, but the people watching all over the world. Games start at your whistle and end at your signal. You are lucky to get on the list. The harder you work, the luckier you become. Referees are looking up to you. You can't let them down. You have that whistle in your pocket. What you do with it will determine if you go forward. I want all of you to referee in a Fifa World Cup. I hope I can spawn you to have the experience of a lifetime. You can make a living off of this."