Liberta Sports Club accepts FA’s first tranche, questions ‘delay’ in distribution of hygienic equipment and protective wear

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President of the Liberta Sports Club, Kenneth Benjamin (right), is seen with former national and Leeward Islands cricketer, Wilden “Polo” Cornwall. (Social media photo)
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By Neto Baptiste

President of the Liberta Sports Club, Kenneth Benjamin, said the body has submitted the relevant documentation to the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) that would see them benefiting from the $8,000 first tranche payout of the FIFA Covid-19 Relief Funds.

The move makes the 2018/19 Premier Division champions the last club to accept the conditions allowing them to access the funding after they had initially questioned the decision by the FA to allot only EC $8,000 per club.

“Yes, we have applied for the funding after we got some clarification in writing from the FA but what actually happened, though, is that we got an extra document which is suggesting that all of a sudden there are new regulations on how the monies should be spent in terms of infrastructure, field upgrades, stipend and all of that,” he said. 

Benjamin, a former national and West Indies fast bowler, went on to question what he perceived as a delay in the FA’s promise of sanitizing equipment and protective wear. 

“Remember some time ago there was some talk of $80,000 worth of equipment in terms of sanitising equipment and on so, then where is that? Based on how is was being touted about that was supposed to be come shortly and we have seen the magistrate court done get and up to now, the clubs haven’t gotten their sanitizing stuff and whatever. I can tell you this, we [Liberta] are looking at a sanitizing station at Ball Beef and the $8,000 done,” he said.

The Liberta Sports Club had sought to rally support from the other members as it asked the FA for clarification on the method used in arriving at the $8,000 figure.

The FA has said that the payout was part of effort to assist all the clubs with offsetting some football related debts and that members would benefit from later tranches.

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