High praise for CONCACAF workshop

THE recent CONCACAF/FA workshop on Contracts, Transfers and Structurers for Development came in for high praise. And CONCACAF president Jack Austin Warner was commended for initiating the CONCACAF development programme since 2001, now being carried out by director of development Richard Braithwaite. Commendations came in a stirring address to the 38 participants from 18 countries by Manchester United director Maurice Watkins, who along with English FA officials Graham Noakes, Mark Ives and Kim Fisher conducted the four-day workshop at the Dr Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence, Macoya, Tunapuna. Watkins, a legal expert and FIFA dispute resolutions committee member later urged regional administrators to develop the new skills that are required to manage football in the modern era. He said: “We are at a crossroad in football.  It is a global game and times are changing fast. “We have become more aware and responsive to what is happening and we cannot remain fixed in our ways.  We must test and stretch ourselves and develop the new skills necessary to survive and grow. “Hopefully, this workshop has made a start and has provided a platform to build on, with the knowledge you acquired over the past four days. “The quality of your presentations during the workshop certainly demonstrate the necessary insight and appetite for success.”

Continuing, Watkins said: “You have worked hard to run football within the countries of this great Confederation and the responsibility now rests on you to deal with the many issues facing your federations. “For me, this has been a rewarding and enjoyable experience and the quality of the participants has contributed significantly to the success of the workshop.” Watkins said, “It demonstrates the seriousness of countries in CONCACAF and it is a credit to the Confederation and president.” And giving a vote of thanks, Mexican Federation director of finance Manuel Moreno Quiroga expressed gratitude to CONCACAF for hosting the workshop. He added: “I have learnt a lot, not only from the FA but from my colleagues as well.  Football is a big family and it is a force for uniting all our countries.“I congratulate the organisers on an excellent workshop.” Braithwaite told the participants “in all our activities, we have placed significant emphasis on quality both in terms of organisation and in content.” He pointed out the evidence was “right before your eyes in the excellent quality of the FA officials who have conducted this four-day workshop.” He listed as those among football experts to lecture here Professor Mariano Moreno of Spain, Dr Michael D’Hooghe, chairman of FIFA sports medical committee, Bruce Arena, coach of the USA national team, Alex Guimaraes Costa Rica coach, Dr. Zdenek Sivek of UEFA, Jean-Paul Brigger, Abedi Pele and Trinidadian Alvin Corneal of the FIFA technical study group, Les Reed, technical director of the English FA, Noakes and Watkins. Braithwaite said over 700 persons have been hosted at the Dr. Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence in the past three years.