The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) is considering withdrawing its Girls U15 team and its Boys U14 team from upcoming regional tournaments.
The youth teams affected were due to play at the Girls U15 Championship in Tampa, Florida and the Caribbean Football Union Boys U14 Challenge in Santo Domingo.
The TTFA stated that it is now “facing the possibility of withdrawing” the teams from both tournaments.
It explained that several factors, including financial constraints and issues related to obtaining travel visas to the USA, are responsible for the current state of affairs.
In a media release, the TTFA stated that since Tampa, Florida was named as the venue for the Girls U15 Championships on 6 June 2022, they have been working on getting the team to the tournament.
“…despite our best efforts to communicate with all relevant stakeholders, even prior to that date, we have been unsuccessful in obtaining US travel visa appointments for 20 players and staff, while being cognizant of the well-documented backlog of applications for US travel visa matters, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the TTFA release stated.
The TTFA also staged that they have been engaging with the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago for assistance in obtaining funding for air travel for both tournaments.
“We have acted in good faith and proceeded with the preparations for the respective tournaments through our High-Performance Programme for the respective age groups over the past few months,” the TTFA media release further stated.
The TTFA stated that it would continue to explore available options and will keep the public abreast of any further developments.
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