Williams made this plea during a recent interview, where he urged the local football authorities to make an effort towards improving the fortunes of national youth teams.

The national Under- 20 team were eliminated from the group stage at the CONCACAF Under- 20 Championships in Costa Rica last week. In Group C, the TT squad drew 1-1 with Bermuda (February 19), lost 1-0 to Costa Rica (February 22) and defeated El Salvador 2-1 last Saturday to finish third in the four-team group.

Only the top two teams (El Salvador and Costa Rica) advanced to the next phase of the competition.

Williams said, “talking with some of the coaches, (there) are things we’re aware of but, due to constraints, more so financially and the support.

It’s a lot being required to move our football at a higher level.

Something that we talk about, a National Training Centre.” Reflecting on a training camp in Panama, Williams commented, “we don’t have a training facility where we have our own dormitories for about four teams, (our) own weight room because in Panama where the teams trained, they have access to their weights right there.

“So you can do weight training and then come on the field or you can bring weights on the field and do some weights while you train.

Those sort of things are some of the areas I think we’ll learn a lot from, which we know but it’s just to be implemented.” Williams, the former national defender and Petrotrin FC coach, have also made a call for larger backroom staff for TT youth teams.

“We’re seeing play ing-wise and tactical- wise, we’re matching most of these teams,” said Williams.

“What we would need to do is put more resources in terms of exposure and a better staff because, when you watch the American staff, we have eight and they have 16 men (including) a nutritionist and a sports psychologist.

“We need to improve in that aspect to be a little more scientific or for (us) to have the personnel to really handle the team to play at the higher level.”

According to Williams, “I think it was really positive in terms of the progress of the team. I know it would have been difficult for us playing at that level, but it wasn’t beyond us. “We really wanted to get some of our players like Keston Julien and Levi Garcia to enhance the team’s performance at that level because we know going to the CONCACAF level,” he continued.

“To have a World Cup squad, we need all the best possible players to represent the country but, other than that, I think it was a real positive and a good trip for our young players.

“Obviously areas like our goalscoring and concentration we need to work on but, generally, I think it was a good improvement and a good representation for the national team. As (the) coach, we could have done better but I was pretty satisfied with the guys’ effort and commitment towards the whole tournament.

There were a few players who were unable to make the TT team due to school commitments in the United States.

Williams acknowledged, “those are some of the better players to represent the country at that level. I feel a better effort could (have) been made.

I know (there were) some challenges with some of the schools not making our players available to represent the country because the youth football don’t play in the international window.

I don’t know if it’s direct representation in terms of face-to-face contacts instead of just emails and telephone calls.” The ex-Trinidad and Tobago defender added, “it’s something that we, as a developing country (rather) than a football country where you have much to choose from, should try to have all our best players available to represent the national team. Nevertheless, the players who (were) there gave a good account of themselves- ….a nice disciplined bunch of guys.

The other thing is the continuity of these boys that we would like to see because it’s supposed to be a natural transition to Under- 23s because those players are pretty decent players, just with exposure and development they could be good senior team players.” For the players – those who were in Costa Rica and the others who failed to make the cut, Williams said, “most of them would be going on to senior football so their personal ambition is to get into clubs (and) try to look to make the senior team. In a nutshell they need to get into some of the Pro League clubs and take it from there. (Also) look for contracts abroad and play at a higher level.”

To Denmark. 6–0.

It was unacceptable, and we all knew it. But the strange thing was, I hadn’t even played in the game. Why was he yelling at me? My coach, Sergio Guenza, was a phenomenal manager. He spent many years managing different sides in Italy — including successful professional men’s teams. He knew what he was doing.

At the time, I didn’t understand why he said what he said.

Eventually, I understood that he wanted me to be upset, and to see that the team needed me on the pitch. It’s why I was on the bench. He was making a point.

Sometimes you need to be taken away from something to realise how much you mean to it. The next game, the results were obvious.

He put me in the starting lineup for the first time in our next match. I scored, and we won. He gave me a smile as I walked off the pitch that said: See. You get it now? I was just 21, but I was taught lessons at a young age that led me toward a coaching career down the road. Sometimes, you’re not teaching somebody how to play.

You’re teaching them how to think. Sports are as much about a mindset — a personality — as they are physical talent.

You had to be a brave little girl if you wanted to play football in Italy. The entire country loved football. My whole family loved football. It was in our blood.

But, it was still a “man’s game.” My father was in the Italian army. I knew bravery. We lived in a military complex in Venice, so we had a few sports fields and facilities near us. But there was only one sport I was going to choose. My brother, Davide, was two years older than me and I followed him everywhere. I made him drag me around Venice with his friends so we could play football. I played every day with boys who were older than me by two or three years.

Our schedule in elementary school worked a bit differently in Italy than it did in other countries.

It left more time for activities.

We would go to class, come home and eat lunch, and then go out to play football. We would play at the local park from 2 pm to 5 pm, or until Mom yelled at us that it was time to come inside to do our homework.

But it is no exaggeration that we played every day. Every. Single.

Day. I was never allowed to play in an organised game with the boys because of the local rules. But when I was 11, a women’s club started in our town. Unfortunately, you had to be 12 to play. But the club told my mom that I was very good and that they were going to call in some favours to get me on the team.

I’m not sure what they did … but within a few days I was playing in a league where few players were 18 but the majority were 28 or 30 years old! That was the first time that I got to play real, competitive football.

I immediately knew that I had found my calling.

Goals.

I loved to score. The feeling was unlike anything else. It didn’t matter how skilled, fast or young you were – if you scored, people would watch. Within a few years I was playing in the second tier (Serie B) of the Italian women’s football league. I was only 13, just trying to enjoy football and learn about the game. I was still scoring lots of goals, but I didn’t know what my future would hold, or what I wanted to pursue.

That all changed in 1978, when I was 14.

I came home from school one day and my dad was waiting for me in the kitchen.

“Carolina, I want you to sit down.” “Oh, mamma mia!” I said “What happened now?” Usually my mom was the one who would talk to me about serious things. I was concerned about what my dad was going to say. “The president of your football club called me,” he said.

“You have been called up to the national team.” I could barely believe him.

“Which national team?” “What do you mean, ‘Which national team?’ ” he said, laughing.

I was stunned. I was only 14, how could I have been called up to play for Italy? I knew that I could score well in Serie B. But doing it against some of the best players in the world it was going to be a different task.

I remember how skeptical the other girls on the team were of me. How could they not be? My oldest teammate was in her late 30s? Most of them were in their 20s. Before our first training session I remember the way some of them glared at me from across the dressing room.

Two hours later, I had their respect.

The hours I had spent going shoulder to shoulder with older boys helped me — because I didn’t have the physicality to compete with them, I had to develop technical ability. For me, it was all about top-of-ball skill. I had to be quicker to get the ball off my feet and to make it go where I wanted it to go.

During my career with the national team, I also grew to love the tactical side of the game. I became close with the coaches and staff, and tried to learn everything I could about the sport. During games, I would often relay instructions from the coaches to the players. I felt like I could see the pitch from different angles.

I translated that skill to broadcasting toward the end of my playing career. I began doing colour commentary for men’s Serie A games. When you’re on TV, you have to think about the sport in a unique way. You need to be able to relay a very complex series of plays to casual fans watching at home, and you need to be able to do it in a way that makes sense.

I have known for a long time — probably since that 6–0 loss to Denmark — that I wanted to be a coach. The impact that you can have on not only the game, but also on the players as people was what stood out to me.

When my career ended in 1999, I took a chance and became the manager of a men’s side in Serie C.

It was an opportunity that unfortunately didn’t work out, but it was an important step for me.

I learned a lot, including management’s sometimes overbearing involvement. The president at the time, Luciano Gaucci, used to intrude on training and make suggestions for his coaches.

He tried to interfere with me, and at that point, I resigned. But the team, under my leadership, had won their group in the Copa Italia having defeated two teams (Ancona and Ascoli) that were later promoted to the Serie B.

I felt that even though it didn’t work, I had earned enough respect on and off the field to continue my coaching career.

Despite other offers to coach men’s professional teams, I chose to be on one of the highest levels, International European championship with the Italian women’s National team — this time as manager.

The technology (data analysis and video) and talent level in the women’s game had risen since my playing days. But having spent so much time as an analyst for men’s football, I was still shocked at the differences between the two.

First of all, if you watch a women’s game, what do you notice? Most people will say the speed.

There’s no acceleration and deceleration — everything moves at one pace compared to the men’s game. The skill is still there. The control these women have with the ball at their feet is terrific, but they lack so much in terms of physical preparation.

Why is that? I think the problem starts with physical training from a young age. When boys become teenagers, the physical side of the game is heavily emphasised — football becomes as much about stamina as skill. It’s wind sprints and suicides… until they just can’t take anymore. For women, we still focus on the basics.

It’s almost as if we think the only way to beat our opponents is with skill.

Look at the best women’s side in the world: the USWNT (United States Women National Team).

The US are good technically, but their players aren’t that much better than everyone else.

The Americans beat everyone because they’re fast, and they can outrun you in the 85th minute.

The training systems in the US don’t just focus on technical ability.

When I became the manager of the Canadian women’s national team in 2009, I tried to bring this to my practices. At the 2011 women’s World Cup, FIFA measured each team’s sprints per game. Canada ranked first, followed by the US and Germany.

It didn’t necessarily translate to success, because there’s much more to playing winning football at that level — including tactical approaches.

I try to study the best teams in the world as much as I can.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich — they all play the game at the highest level tactically.

And my biggest takeaway from watching them play was the idea of buildup.

When I came to Canada, our keeper would immediately boot the ball down the field whenever she got it.

But for a team like Barcelona, the keeper’s distribution is a very important part of each attack.

These are the little things that are holding our women’s game back. I hope to bring these ideas with me as I head (along with the rest of my staff) to my next destination: Trinidad and Tobago.

You probably didn’t even know that Trinidad and Tobago had a women’s team.

They haven’t qualified for a World Cup yet, but they are improving. In 2010, Trinidad and Tobago made it to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and in 2014, the national team placed fourth in the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup.

There’s talent there, and I believe it’s a great place for me to start over and work with an enthusiastic group of young women.

Football has taken me all over the world and I’m thankful for that.

We now stand at an important time for the women’s game.

There’s an opportunity for us to continue to develop the sport — I just hope I can play a part.

(theplayerstribune.com)

Abdool snatched six for 31 as leaders Clarke Road were dismissed for 154 batting first.

David Pegus grabbed 3/40 for Tableland, while Kerry Holness top scored with 32 for Clarke Road.

In reply, last placed Tableland closed on 66/3 with Ainsley Sutherland unbeaten on 25.

Former national youth cricketer Anderson Phillip took 2/24 for Clarke Road.

In another encounter, Merry Boys are in control against Jailal Enterprise Victoria.

Merry Boys closed day one on 293/8 in the first innings with Jeetendra Sookdeo slamming an unbeaten 129.

Sookdeo, who struck 10 fours and two sixes in his 251-ball knock, was ably supported by Ranga Lachana who contributed 69.

Spin bowler Garey Mathurin was the best bowler for Victoria, bagging 6/101 in 33 overs.

The same fixtures will take place today in round three of the 50-over competition, while round three of the three-day competition will continue next weekend.

SUMMARISED SCORES CLARKE ROAD 154 (Kerry Holness 32, Jyd Goolie 31, Gregory Mahabir 31; Tariq Abdool 6/31, David Pegus 3/40) vs TABLELAND 66/3 (Ainsley Sutherland 25 not out; Anderson Phillip 2/24).

ALESCON COMETS 79 (Andy Gobin 17; Dave Samooj 6/9, Jahron Alfred 2/28) and 98/3 (Kirk Edwards 36, Idrees Mohammed 23 not out; Stephen Shaddick 1/7) vs CENTRAL SPORTS 146 (Kamil Pooran 52, Shazan Babwah 25; Kastri Singh 6/48, Emile Rajah 2/11, Philton Williams 2/26).

MERRY BOYS 293/8 (Jeetendra Sookdeo 129 not out, Ranga Lachana 69; Garey Mathurin 6/101) vs JAILAL ENTERPRISE VICTORIA.

QUEEN’S PARK 136 (Kirstan Kallicharan 44, Darren Bravo 36; Jovan Ali 4/24, Ancil Bhagan 3/38, Kavesh Kantasingh 3/50) vs POWERGEN 132/6 (Ewart Nicholson 60 not out, Nicholas Sookdeosingh 21; Sunil Narine 3/62, Darren Deonarine 2/33).

The teams will face off at Esmeralda Ground in Enterprise from noon. In other 50-over Premiership matches, Players Sports Club will play Hibiscus Ladies at the Naparima Recreation Ground in San Fernando, while Cricket Lovers will tackle Moosai Sports Club at the Pinto Recreational Ground in Arima.

Matches in the 40-over championship division will bowl off at 11 am.

Preysal Achievers Women will face UWI at the Couva Secondary School, while Waterloo All Stars will play Mafeking Sports at Mulchan Seuchan Park, Chaguanas.

Kensington Oval in Barbados will host the first T20 on March 26 with the Queen’s Park Oval now hosting three games instead of two, on March 30 and April 1 and 2.

“Twenty20 is an exciting format and this is another opportunity for our fans to indulge in the thrilling atmosphere that surrounds these matches,” said WICB cricket operations manager, Roland Holder. “We look forward to fans in Barbados and Trinidad coming out and cheering our team on to victory.” The additions to the itinerary comes after the West Indies Cricket Board snubbed an offer from the Pakistan Cricket Board to play a two-match T20 series in Pakistan later this month.

Pakistan had also been invited by the WICB to play a similar series in Florida at month end.

Outside of the amended T20 series, the remainder of the tour remains unchanged with three One-Day Internationals in Guyana from April 7-11 and three Tests – carded for Jamaica, Barbados and Dominica – from April 22 to May 14.

Last year, West Indies played Pakistan in a full tour in the United Arab Emirates.

They suffered 3-0 clean sweeps in the T20 and ODI series and lost the Test series 2-1.

He said the tests showed, “the levels of lead in the raw water entering and the final treated water leaving the facilities are within the permissible levels as prescribed in (the) Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality of the World Health Organisation (WHO)”.

Thomas also said WASA has several mechanisms in place to ensure that its water is potable and meets the guidelines set out by WHO. They include a “rigorous treatment process” – coagulation/ flocculation sedimentation processes – and disinfecting of the water to “eliminate dangerous pathogens.” Furthermore, Thomas said, there is a Water Quality Monitoring System (WQMS) in place at the Caroni Water Treatment Plant that monitors the “water quality parameters in the Caroni River Basin and provide real time water quality data to the plant from several locations upstream of the raw water intake to the facility. This system measures six water quality parameters which are key indicators of different types of pollution that can impact the plant’s output.

In addition, regular water quality testing at the plant’s onsite laboratory is conducted in keeping with WHO guidelines.” Sharda Mahabir, project leader for WASA’s Adopt-A-River Programme, who was also present at the conference, said that the amount of lead in the water at the Caroni Treatment Plant was below the acceptable figure for WHO.

In fact, Thomas confirmed that the levels were below the detection level before treatment and remain below when it leaves the plant.

However, that is not to say that the pre-treated water is safe for consumption since the levels of lead, Mahabir pointed out, vary according to the season.

First apologising, he said, “I truly and honestly apologise to everyone who trusted and believed in me and my vision for the ‘Dimanche Gras Icons’, and who I unfortunately disappointed and let down. I cannot apologise enough for the unfortunate mishaps that transpired. My apologies also go out to the honorees, the Calypso Monarch contestants, all of the guest performers, the hard working people of and the board of the NCC, the Minister of Culture, the people of Trinidad and Tobago, the fans of our rich and vibrant culture, again, my humblest apologies to all and in particular the family, friends and fans of all of the Icons. I, as the producer of this year’s show, I take full responsibility for all the technical glitches that transpired.” Wiltshire, who said he had three weeks to produce the show, said initially they were completely puzzled as to the reason for the malfunctions. But after carefully analysing everything that transpired, they came to the realisation that the “main culprit” in the entire fiasco was an unexpected, massive shower with high winds, that came crashing down on the venue at approximately 4.30 pm, mere hours before the start of the event. He said, “At that time we gave priority to covering all the equipment on stage, which was totally at the mercy of the elements.

Unfortunately, the Disc Jockey & Video playback equipment, which seemed perfectly safe in the covered Grand Stand, were soaked by blowing rain, which at one point was blowing in an almost horizontal direction, even uprooting and blowing over one of the securely anchored partitions, screening the eastern ramp to the stage.” He added, “After the shower, all the equipment was dried off and tested. At the time everything worked fine, but we were unaware that water had already seeped into the Disc Jockeys laptop computer and some of the video playback equipment, which eventually started malfunctioning later in the evening, and for the most part, creating the embarrassing domino effect of mishaps that unfolded.

Eventually the computer in question crashed completely. It was only when it was opened up for repair, the reason was discovered. I cannot apologise enough for what transpired.” For the last few days, NCC Chairman De Silva has been making the rounds in the media, apologising for the disaster that was the Dimanche Gras 2017. He even placed ads in the dailies noting the comments and complaints expressed by the public on the shortcomings in the show, and took full responsibility for the series of glitches that adversely affected the show and caused it to go longer than planned.

De Silva also expressed his regret that adequate corrective protocols were not in place to deal immediately with the problems once they arose, but gave the assurance that the NCC will have in place a more robust back-up plan in the future.

Nearby, the body of her father Terry Edwards lay on the roadway, bleeding from multiple bullet wounds. Another man, Kevin Fuller, also lay nearby after he too was shot dead. Meanwhile, at San Fernando General Hospital, a third victim of the shooting incident, Sanjay Mahabir, stopped breathing and was pronounced dead.

In one fell swoop, gunmen ended the lives of the three and left their respective families reeling in agony. Police sources said the gunmen came gunning specifically for Fuller, but in spraying the area with bullets shot dead Edwards and Mahabir while a fourth victim escaped after being shot in the hand.

At the scene, Thursday night, Kerry was inconsolable as she sat on the road near her father’s body.

“Oh God daddy, why they do you this,” the child wailed, while nearby, her dazed brother Isaiah, 11, looked on. Their mother Ann Marie Khadoo sobbed as she pondered a future without her common- law husband.

Fuller, 31, was a scrap iron dealer who lived at Naparima Mayaro Road in Palmyra.

Edwards lived in Wellington Gardens, Debe while Mahabir, an off-shore worker lived at Serenity Heights in Debe.

Daniel Che Ching, 19, of Debe was shot in the hand and remains warded in stable condition. They were all liming at the Runway 69 Shorts bar in Debe when for Fuller, Edwards and Mahabir, death came calling at 7.30 pm.

Two gunmen ran into the bar with guns blazing in the direction of Fuller, who was hit multiple times and died at the scene.

Edwards who attempted to flee, was shot and collapsed on the roadway where he died. Mahabir was outside the bar speaking to his wife via his cellular phone when on hearing the gunshots, he tried to reach his car, but was shot several times and collapsed.

The killers, police said, escaped in a vehicle which was parked nearby along another street. Investigators have since obtained video footage from two surveillance cameras at the bar. Nineteen bullet casings were retrieved at the scene.

Kerry, on hearing that her father had just been shot, ran all the way from her home to the scene and collapsed on the road, near his body. She kept begging her father to get up and come home with her.

Fuller’s mother Joanne Fuller, his girlfriend Stacy Gumbs and others were also inconsolable at the scene.

Mahabir’s parents Harripersad Mahabir, 77, and Jean Mahabir, 74, struggled to come to terms with the loss of their only son. “Nah man this have to be a dream,” Mrs Mahabir kept saying as she shook her head at the family’s Rock Road, Penal home.

“His wife went to Gulf City and he stopped off at the bar to wait for her. Why they shoot out my son’s life? He was innocent,” she cried.

At the Fuller residence in Palmyra, mother Joanne Fuller said the blood of her son and that of the other two victims, are dripping from the hands of a woman whom she accused of ordering the Thursday night ‘hit’ as revenge for the shooting death of a male relative three years ago. Joanne insisted her son had nothing to do with the death of that woman’s relative.

In Wellington, Debe an unemployed Khadoo yesterday said her husband Terry had no known enemies and she now faces a bleak and lonely future.

She said daughter Kerry who celebrated her 14th birthday on Carnival Monday, is scheduled to undergo surgery next month.

The teen told Newsday her father had promised to purchase a pair of Puma slippers for her birthday yesterday.

“Why did they have to kill my dad,” she asked yesterday. Edwards’s stepdaughter Jamie Lezama, 21, said he was a father any child would want. No arrest has been made and visiting the scene were Supt Pragg, ASPs Ali and Mohammed, Insps Don Gajadhar and Figaro, W/Sgt Cuffy and Cpl Beckles.

In his contribution to debate on the Marriage Bill 2016 in the House of Representatives, Padarath said the Opposition would support the bill because it agrees that 18 years should be the age of legal consent for marriage.

As he recalled that Dr Slinger Francisco (The Mighty Sparrow) once sang that “age is just a number,” Padarath took offence with aspects of Liverpool’s calypso which focused on the issue of child marriage. “While that same 75-year-old calypsonian attempts to skew communities here in TT by misrepresentation and skewing of information…but does not say that while the Hindu, Muslim and Orishas have ages…below the minimum age of 18…he does not inform us that there are other groups such as the Christians and the civil marriages…that have no minimum age requirement…

None!” As Opposition MPs thumped their desks, Padarath referred to Canon Law, which governs the Catholic community. Prompted occasionally by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who also placed documents on his desk for him to read, Padarath said existing Canon law states men who are 16 years old and 14-year-old women, “cannot enter into illicit marriage or a valid marriage.” He added there are one billion Catholics worldwide. Saying “information comes with responsibility” in the 21st Century, Padarath said, “Instead of dividing communities and painting public figures into a particular light to suit your own political persuasion…

if it is Hindus that the calypsonian is asking that 75 can go into 14…can we also ask the same of the Catholic community…in the interest of fairness?” Padarath reiterated the Opposition’s concern about Attorney General Faris Al Rawi removing the requirement of the need for the bill to be passed with a three-fifths majority.

He questioned who gave the legal advice that the bill needed a special majority and who gave the advice that it did not. “This government is hiding something” Padarath alleged. Padarath was cautioned during his contribution by Speaker Bridgid Annisette- George for his language, displaying a document without permission and about relevance when he boasted that Persad-Bissessar did more for children in TT than any other leader.

Mayaro MP Rushton Paray said as the father of three teenage daughters, he understands the need for parents to be vigilant on the issue of child marriages.

While he agreed with the Government’s position on child marriages, Paray said there was equal merit in the views of religious bodies and civil society groups on the legislation.

He said the Opposition would propose amendments when the bill reached to committee stage.