Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
The Republic Cup National Youth Football League (NYFL) kicked off in the East and South Zones today. But the North, Tobago and Girls Divisions will have to wait for at least another week to join the fray, while Central Zone games should start on Sunday 12 March.
Gateway Athletic managing director Shem Alexander confirmed postponements of varying lengths in the North and Central Zones, while the remaining divisions were already in the waiting room.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
“We had to postpone the North Zone due to unsuitable playing conditions,” Alexander told Wired868.
The NYFL competition, which was initially due to begin on 4 March, is run by Gateway Athletics, in conjunction with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA)—and doubles up as the local governing football body’s de facto national youth competition.
However, the pre-tournament pitch inspections apparently failed to pick up that the Queen’s Park Savannah did not have goal posts.
In the Central Zone, Alexander said the issue was the double booking of grounds. He said tomorrow’s round of matches in that zone are expected to go off without issue.
Otherwise, the Tobago and Girls divisions are earmarked to start on 18 and 19 March.
The NYFL is the largest youth competition in the country and caters for over 3,000 children.
(via TTFA Media)
TTFA technical director Anton Corneal anticipates that the competition would play an important role in the rebuilding of the local game, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sport administrator, businessman and football coach Shem Alexander has pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to smuggle firearms from the United States Read more
“[…] If we were really serious, the powers that be would have engaged the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Read more
“[…] How can these teams struggle so much on the international stage despite having worked with a ‘Fifa Talent Expert’ Read more
On 25 July, Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Kieron Edwards suggested that “progress” was being made with regards Read more
The Trinidad and Tobago Boys’ National Under-15 Team lost their first outing of the 2025 Concacaf Under-15 Championship today, and Read more
“[…] Safeguarding in youth sports does not simply mean preventing abuse; it encompasses a proactive commitment to avoid all unnecessary Read more
Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
