By Neto Baptiste
The schools’ football programme is in danger of being downsized due to financial and other constraints.
This is according to the coordinator within the Ministry of Sports, Rowan “Porridge” Benjamin, who said that in its current format, and the cost associated with running a programme of that size, a reduction in the number of divisions being contested may be on the cards.
“Because of the huge programme we have in terms of five categories, if we want better quality, we will have to cut the programme if we cannot get the serious funding that schools football really needs at this moment in terms of having maybe only four age groups, or maybe having only two age groups, and then we would be able to manage the programme properly,” he said.
Benjamin also addressed the issue of equipment, stating that although coaches are issued with some gear, it is often not enough to get the job done in an effective manner.
“These coaches do get equipment, and although they may not get it on time, they do get equipment, but if you ask me is that is enough I would say ‘hell no’, but we will have to work with what we have. In your time and in my time there were only two balls or one ball, so our training was done around that, but I believe that going forward, in order to get the referee thing sorted out, in order to get a lot of things right in terms of transportation, we may have to streamline the programme which is not good at all for the sport,” he said.
Questioned about the once-touted inclusion of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA), Benjamin said the ministry is still awaiting the FA’s response to a letter they were sent some months ago.
“Since we spoke the last time some months ago, we from the director’s desk would have written in terms of putting something forward to the ABFA and they have not replied up to this time,” he said.
The schools football programme concluded on Monday with the final of the primary schools’ competition at the Rising Sun Ground.
