Soca Warriors escape injuries

THE dream of fielding a fully fit TT National Football team participating in their first ever World Cup Finals almost came crashing down when a stage on which the team members were on, collapsed at the centre at the Yolande Pompey Recreation Ground in Princes Town yesterday.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident which occurred some ten minutes after the team which included captain Dwight Yorke and midfield dynamo Russell Latapy, arrived at the playpark and were greeted by hundreds of screaming fans.

They were being treated to the Soca Warriors dance performed by students of the Sixth Company AC School. Midway into the dance, a loud crack was heard and the front left portion of the stage, constructed from plyboard, slipped off its two-brick high foundation and collapsed to the dirt ground.

The players, some with startled looks on their faces, were immediatley hustled off the stage and back onto the official PTSC tour bus. Princes Town Regional Corporation councillor Clifton De Couteau, apologised to the football team and fans.

However, De Couteau was left addressing a virtually empty playfield as the majority of spectators rushed up the hill behind the players’ bus seeking hugs and autographs.

De Couteau said the stage, which was similar in design to the ones used by the Corporation for Carnival and other functions, was built by a contractor for yesterday’s occasion. The councillor said that the corporation would build its own stage for future events.

FIFA vice-president, Austin Jack Warner, who remained on the stage after the players had left, downplayed the incident saying that no one was injured in the accident.

Earlier in the morning, the Soca Warriors tour bus started its tour at Market Square, Rio Claro, and was greeted by a virtual sea of red T-shirt clad supporters who chanted the names of their heroes as they were led to the stage.

While flags adorned both houses and businessplaces along the streets of both Princes Town and Rio Claro, traffic crawled as the Warriors entourage which included a motorcycle escort and helicopter, wound its way along the main roadways of South Trinidad.