Footballers, hockey players stranded

UNCERTAINTY surrounds the arrival back in Trinidad and Tobago of three national sports teams who were left stranded in Cuba and Guyana respectively after their flights on BWIA were abruptly cancelled. The Under-20 and Under-17 footballers in Havana and hockey players in Georgetown were among hundreds of passengers who were unsure when they were coming or going after the state owned airline reported problems with one of their airplanes. Especially hard-hit were the young footballers who were scheduled to return home on Sunday after competing in the CONCACAF Caribbean Zone second round qualifying matches for the World Championships. However yesterday the parents of the young footballers were frantically making phone calls all around seeking credible information about the return of their sons who left last Wednesday for the matches two days later. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous yesterday criticised BWIA officials whom he said failed to provide a definite answer as to when the footballers will be coming home.

“We were told they should be back on Wednesday but indications are that the flight may be on Thursday,” the worried parent said. “It is not like they are in Miami or Barbados. This is Cuba. We need to have the assurance that a plane will be definitely sent to get them back,” he continued. He said he understood that BWIA had made all arrangements for the two 18-member teams to be accommodated at hotels in the Cuban capital with allowances for meals and facilities to wash their clothes. However additional concerns were raised about the players who were in school and are likely to miss end of term examinations because of the travel hiccup. “We know that there may not be much the Football Federation can do but at least BWIA can come out and say something definitive to ease the concern that we have for our sons and the officials who were supposed to be away for five days but will now spend considerably longer,” the worried parent said.

He revealed that when the flight was cancelled on Sunday, an unamed official from the Football Federation called several parents explaining the latest development but could not state exactly when the players would be returning. It was then that several parents starting making telephone calls to gather whatever information they could get about the arrangements being made for the teams while they remain holed up in Cuba. Last night, Dionne Ligoure, Corporate Communications Manager of BWIA told i95.5FM Radio that the airline was experiencing problems with one of their fleet which upset their flight schedule leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. Without specifically referring to the footballers or hockey players, Ligoure told i95.5FM that maintenance crews were working feverishly to bring the situation back to normal but did not shed any light on when this may be.

Playing in the first match on Friday at 10 am the Under-17s lost 3-1 with substitute Kyle McIvor scoring the equaliser for the TT team in the 64th minute after Adrian Hernandez blasted into the lead in the 35th. Onai Martinez hit a double to put the match out of the reach of the visitors. Playing later the Under-20s exacted some measure of revenge, coming from a goal down to stun Cuba 3-2. Tobago-born Keon Daniel got the equaliser in the 60th minute and Hayden Tinto notched a double in the space of ten minutes (65th and 75th) to give his team full points playing away. Earlier Cuba’s Mario Gil opened the Cuban account in the sixth minute and Adonis Ramos added another in extra time but by then it was too late. And the Magnolias women’s hockey team capped a brilliant run in the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Tournament beating compatriots Malvern in the final. The Malvern men were defeated by Guyana’s GCC in the men’s third place playoff.