Yet again, COVID-19 is trying its very best to bring us to our knees and to throw our hands up in the air and surrender. Hopefully, the vast majority of the world’s population is not thinking in this way and will fight to the bitter end for us to eradicate this horrible virus; a pandemic that has taken so many lives, shattered numerous families but no matter how long it takes, our determination will see us through.
As a result of the latest wave, on the field action appears limited with most of the activity taking place off the field. The largely popular Indian Premier League (IPL) has postponed the remainder of the tournament and they are extremely optimistic that it will resume in due course when (and if) the pandemic situation improves. Wishful thinking indeed but when will conditions improve? The scenes coming from India are devastating to look at with human beings pleading for oxygen and a healthcare system in complete shambles. If a country like India cannot contain this virus, the world is a very far place from where it needs to be.
In addition to the confidence of the organisers for a near resumption, many of these IPL players have international commitments. One must remember that the IPL is normally played outside of international cricket to allow for the best players in the world to participate. Will they be able to find a suitable time frame bearing in mind the postponed T20 World Cup which was carded for India in November 2021, has now been shifted to the United Arab Emirates?
It is truly unfortunate as the IPL was now kicking into top gear with players beginning to find their form and some of the not so well-fancied teams challenging the bigger named teams at the top of the standings. Locally, the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) has announced that no local cricket will be played for the year so another season has gone by and the fringe players have not been able to showcase their talent and address the selectors in the longer format of the game. Luckily, however, the Super 50 Cup was held in Antigua & Barbuda and the local cricket selectors opted for the tried and tested players with the sole intention of winning the tournament. Many of the youngsters were waiting to play in the 4-day West Indies Regional Championships but that opportunity has now gone and many of them will understandably be frustrated; but it is important for these players to remain positive so when the call is made, they are ready to answer.
Internationally, South Africa is to tour the Caribbean next month and T&T has been pencilled into host three T20 games and two test matches. I am keeping my fingers crossed that despite the disconcerting rise in COVID-19 cases locally, we may still be able to host the series as the players will be in a biosecure environment. When the country took on the responsibility of allowing the CPL tournament to take place here last year, the cases were much lower and the tournament came through with flying colours. On the other hand, with the case and death count rising daily, Cricket West Indies (CWI) may be left with no alternative but to go elsewhere unless the powers that be can guarantee the safety of both squads.
In football, T&T seems to be having enough problems on the field but off the field, more action is taking place as the TTFA members delivered a 15-page document to the Normalisation Committee (NC) and copied the General Secretary of FIFA which stated the NC has failed to carry out the instructions of FIFA to normalise T&T football and prepare it for an election. It is such a pity because it is high time for all stakeholders to work together for the betterment of the sport in T&T. Surely, all parties can sit around a table and work out the differences so the sport can progress. I fully appreciate that in circumstances like this, one party never wants to meet because they may think it is a waste of time as they may not get the other party to change their mind, but at least trying to initiate dialogue is better than no dialogue at all. The situation can quite quickly reach a boiling point with no one, especially the sport of football, winning.
Admittedly, I do not hear enough from the chairman of the NC. There are many allegations thrown at him and his committee and sometimes he comes forward to refute them but I believe that if he takes the front and communicates the actions of his committee to the football fraternity before they find out through the grapevine, it would save a lot of animosity and bickering. I am also well aware that no matter what you do, criticism will always remain as the sole purpose of some is to not assist but to disrupt instead.
The NC appointed all foreign coaches for the Futsal team, beach soccer and women’s team and naturally, the local coaches association took umbrage to the appointment especially of the women’s coach. I would have expected the NC to be transparent with the selection process of all the coaches and if they were not being transparent, why wasn’t this pointed out before the selections were made? Or was this questioned and the NC plainly ignored?
Despite the drama, T&T did have some action as I saw the first game of the national futsal team against the Dominican Republic (DR) and they were easily beaten 6-2. I honestly did not expect much better but to be frank, the team looked extremely under-prepared, tactically naive and the DR played with purpose and the visible desire to be victorious. I felt it for the players but mention must be made of T&T’s goalkeeper Andre Marchan who was exceptional. If it wasn't for him, T&T could have conceded far more.
T&T’s beach soccer national team starts their qualifying for the 2021 World Cup in Russia on May 17th in Costa Rica, so one can only hope for a good showing from a team that should be better prepared.
Finally, the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics are just about 78 days away and I am looking forward to it simply for the athletes’ sake. The Olympics come around every 4 years and these athletes train hard waiting for their day on the global stage. Some miss out because of injury and they have to wait another long 4 years to get the opportunity to shine, so why deny them if the games can be held in a biosecure bubble? I truly dislike hearing the doubters. Think about our athletes as we all know it will not be the normal Olympic games, but once the organisers can ensure their safety and all strict guidelines are followed, we should be in for a great display of talent. As they say, let the games begin.
Editor’s note:
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of any organisation of which he is a stakeholder.