La Brea ‘Big Four’ gets $30,000

The league is designed to revive the sport of football in the deep south, and to weed out crime and delinquency among the youth.

On Saturday ALUTRINT pledged their financial assistance to the league with a $30,000 sponsorship for cash prizes in the Big Four tournament.

The teams in the Big Four are Vance Rivers, Stoke City of Parrylands, La Brea Bosnia and Mixed Generations who are also from La Brea.

Former national captain and defender Anthony Rougier who attended the sponsorship ceremony on Saturday said he was elated with ALUTRINT assistance.

He said that sport has always played a big part in the lives of the people of La Brea and in particular the youngsters.

It has been the breeding ground for a number of this country’s sporting greats, including former national and West Indies cricketer Gus Logie, who began his career right at the community ground in Sobo Village.

Logie is considered one of the best cricketers to play for Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies. He is now an accomplished coach with the Bermuda team preparing for the 2007 World Cup.

Rougier who was a versatile player on the field filling the role of midfielder, striker and then defender, told the gathering that football has been a road to success for him travelling far and wide, to all parts of the world.

"I played professionally in Great Britain for ten years and I have also spent a year in China where I played as well," Rougier said.

His interesting career started at the same Sobo Village Ground which is at the centre of a community now gripped by unwanted delinquency and crime.

He is now urging the business community and the government of Trinidad and Tobago, to not only pattern what ALUTRINT has done, but to use sports as the answer to violence and crime.

"There is no better medicine for healing the sickness in the society," Rougier pointed out on Saturday.

He said ALUTRINT has set a wonderful example for many and he hopes that others will follow.

Rougier said he was certain that if the adults in the society set a proper example for their children things would be much better.

He noted that he would be extremely happy to work alongside a number of former national sportsmen such as Larry Joseph, striker Philbert Jones and Gus Logie — who is expected to join forces to help the cummunity.

Rougier also congratulated the Warriors for their successes so far, and added that he was confident that the team would secure a place in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The Warriors face Bahrain in two key matches — first at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on November 12 in the first leg and then on November 16 in the return match in Bahrain.

He added that as captain of the national team he had many exciting moments which included leading Trinidad and Tobago to a semi-final spot at the 2001 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States under coach Bertille St Clair.

Rougier also represented the Warriors in the early stages of the 2005 World Cup qualifiers and said it was a great honour for him to play for his country.