By Neto Baptiste
Sitting floor member within the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) and possible contender for the organisation’s top spot when elections are held this year, Barbara Coates, may not be getting the same respect as her male counterparts.
This is the view of national striker and UPP political hopeful for the St Peter Constituency, Tevaughn Harriet who believes that Coates is not being looked at as a serious contender by some clubs based both on her gender and her lack of notability in the sport.
“I think, as everybody else, she wants a change in football but I think she’s being undermined mostly because she’s female and was never deeply involved in football like Batow who has actually been a player, so I think most people are no taking her seriously. I get that from a bit of social media and she has good intentions as to how she wants to construct things if she does get into the office, but I think most people are undermining her,” he said.
Harriet, who made it clear that he was not endorsing any candidate for the position, revealed that his community club, Parham FC, is in the process of putting a body in place to run the affairs of the once successful outfit.
“Mr Roderick Williams is the one behind of everything and he is getting some people to actually form an executive and have an election for us to have a club rather than just a football team. I think so far, he has made some inroads by contacting a few people and sooner rather than later, things will be sorted out,” he said.
The ABFA elections are constitutionally due in May this year but fears are that the ongoing restrictions on gatherings may force the FA to postpone the pending vote.