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The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA) today claimed success in alleviating the issues that prompted the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) to exclude Tobago schools from the 2026 Premier Division competition.
On Wednesday 22 July, the SSFL general council—which comprises teams from the Premier Division, Boys’ and Girls’ Championship Divisions, and zonal representatives—voted to restrict the Tobago’s two top flight schools, Signal Hill Secondary and Speyside Secondary, to its own island, so as to spare Trinidad’s 15 Premier teams the cost of inter-island travel.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
A public outcry to that vote, which was carried first by Wired868, prompted an intervention by Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) CEO Kester Lendor. It took just two meetings by Lendor and Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts with the SSFL executive to find a fix, according to a MSYA release.
“Our young athletes must be given every opportunity to participate, compete and fulfil their potential,” stated Watts. “School sport plays a critical role in building discipline, teamwork, leadership and national pride, and we were therefore determined to work with the SSFL and the Sports Company to find a solution.
“We are pleased that the teams will now be able to travel to Tobago and take part in their scheduled matches.”
Photo: MSYA.
The meeting today involved SSFL president Merere Gonzales, general secretary-treasurer Laurence Seepersad and North Zone chair Joseph Taylor, along with Watts and Lendor.
“Through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry, the Sport Company and the SSFL, arrangements have now been made to facilitate the teams’ participation,” stated the release, which pointed to the travel issues.
However, no details were provided in relation to the cost of the government’s rescue package to the SSFL.
The Premier Division is one round of matches with each school playing half of their games home and away. The fixtures are devised so no Trinidad team would cross the seabridge more than once in the league competition—provided that there are two Tobago schools.
The SSFL previously paid Trinidad schools $10,000 each to subsidise their trip to the “Sister Isle”. That figure dropped to $8,000 in 2024, while some schools received no financial support at all for 2025.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) subsidises the cost of inter-island travel for Tobago schools.
If the government replaces the previous travel grants for the 15 Trinidad schools, it would cost either $120,000 or $150,000. However, Wired868 understands that the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and/ or SporTT has suggested offering more than double that figure to the SSFL, with some money going to cover other expenses of the schools body.
Gonzales thanked Watts and Lendor for “responding promptly to the concerns and helping to ensure that the teams can participate in the games”.
Photo: Allan V Crane/ CA Images/ Wired868.
“We are grateful to minister Watts and chairman Lendor for their intervention and commitment to the League,” stated Gonzales, in a MYSA release. “Their support means that our student-athletes will be able to take the field and continue their participation in the competition.”
On Wednesday, after the initial meeting with Watts and Lendor, Seepersad dispatched a summons to school representatives to meet for a special general council meeting on Wednesday 19 August, to discuss the “Premiership proposals 2026”.
Schools are expected to be asked to vote to reverse their decision to exclude Signal Hill and Speyside at that meeting, with the Premier Division likely to return to a nationwide affair.
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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.
