Stadium not ready for Under-16s

Originally, the opening ceremony for the 28-nation tournament followed by the match between hosts Trinidad and Tobago and Aruba was carded for that date.

But CFU President Jack Warner said he learnt on Sunday from the stadium officials that the venue was now unavailable despite the fact that the application for use on that day was made since January.

“I am mortified to discover that, as of yesterday, the playfield was not in the required state of readiness and worse, it will not achieve that condition in time for the opening event on August 14, 2006,” a concerned Warner wrote in a letter to Roger Boynes, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs on Monday.

“Quite apart from having to undertake the complex and time-consuming task of reshuffling our fixtures matrix at cripplingly short notice, Trinidad and Tobago is now faced with the ignominy of having to apologise to officials and teams of participating countries; conjuring up reasons why our flagship facility will not be available until the semi-final stage of competition,” Warner wrote.

“This situation is both unbelievable and unacceptable, rendered moreso by coming on the heels of such noble and public promises on the part of your ministry and the Government about partnering in the process of developing football, with a view to conquering the various challenges facing us en route to South Africa 2010.

“We are nonplussed by the schedule stadium management approved for re-grassing a 20-foot-wide swath on the eastern side of the field, which simply cannot be fast-tracked.

“To the uninformed observer, that decision reeks of disdain for the Under-16 tournament, almost as if the Caribbean Youth Football Cup either didn’t exist or had been postponed to later in the year.

“It is hardly the message we wish to send to our youth at large and, on the local level, several hopefuls for our next World Cup Team,” Warner stated.

While the CFU awaits a formal response, the tournament’s marketing committee is in the process of shifting the opening match to another venue, possibly the Larry Gomes Stadium at Malabar.

However this would not accommodate an opening ceremony which had already been specially choreographed to mark the appearance of the various nations including Mexico, Guatemala, Canada, Panama and El Salvador.