Griffith calls for heads to roll

FORMER manager of the Trinidad and Tobago men’s and women’s hockey teams, Captain Gary Griffith, has issued a call for a new head of the Hockey Board. “I am hereby humbly requesting that, for the benefit of the development and upward mobility of the sport, the president of the TTHB Maureen Craig-Rousseau tenders her resignation with immediate effect,” declared Griffith in a letter. The former TTHB secretary affirmed that “within the last few months, there have been constant accusations of blatant bias, double-standard, victimisation and favouritism throughout the hockey fraternity in the manner that matters, especially of a disciplinary nature, are dealt with.” During the present 2004 national indoor tournament, voices were raised about the handling of disciplinary issues and the fact that a number of appointees to key positions on national teams are members of Craig-Rousseau’s club Malvern.

There were recent reports about a heated exchange between former national captain and TTHB Marketing Manager Sherlan Cabralis, who still plays for Malvern and umpire Kecia Jones during Malvern’s fixture against Ventures. “The concept of allowing a player to continue to participate in a tournament, even though she shoved her hands into the pocket of an umpire, gave herself a red card, threw the cards on the ground, stamped on it and then after the game, jumped over the railing to confront the umpire must be cause for concern, especially if she is from the same club as the president, ” he said. “Apart from discipline, there has also been the perception and statistics to show the poor handling of administrative appointments for national teams, with the unwarranted sacking of Mr Nicholas Govia, who is the most qualified and successful men’s coach in the history of the sport and having him replaced by a coach with no credentials or silverware to stake his claim,” Griffith continued.

He also slammed the selection of Malvern representatives David Francois as coach, Jason Thomas as manager and Richard Fredericks as assistant manager of the men’s team. “The state of hockey has never been in such a state of turmoil as it is at this time,” Griffith stressed, “upon which responsibility and accountability must be held from the top.” “Hence it is my personal request, and for the good of the sport, that I request that Mrs Rousseau, in her capacity as president of the TTHB, tender her resignation with immediate effect.” “Once the person in command has lost control, respect and trust by their sub-ordinates, then resigning will be the honourable thing to do, for the good of the organisation and, in this case, the good of local hockey,” Griffith stated.