Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
Friends and well wishers of late Trinidad and Tobago national youth team player and Ferencvaros defender Akeem Adams will hold an inaugural memorial match in his honour from 3.30 pm on Sunday January 4 at the Mahaica Oval in Point Fortin.
Dion Sosa, Adams’ former local agent, heads an organising committee for the event that includes former national football team administrators, Cheryl Abraham and Chris De Silva. The match will pit an Akeem Adams XI against local Pro League outfit, Point Fortin Civic.
The entry fee is $20 and all proceeds will go to a scholarship in Adams’ name, which will go to one Point Fortin student every year to help offset costs, accommodation or otherwise, for his or her university education.
But, while Adams’ former friends and associates try to create a lasting legacy for the two-time World Youth Cup player, there is hurt over alleged neglect by the Ministry of Sport.
Adams died in Budapest on 30 December 2013 after failing to recover from a massive heart attack at his apartment, three months earlier. Then acting Prime Minister Errol McLeod expressed condolences on his passing from the Government while Sport Minister Anil Roberts allegedly promised the family to foot the cost of the funeral.
“As a father I cannot begin to imagine the grief and despair his family is feeling in these difficult moments,” Roberts said at the time, via a press release. “Akeem was a talented young man who (…) stood as an example to many on how fully utilise all the gifts and talents bestowed on him by the Creator.
“He even faced his final challenge with an optimistic spirit and kept up the fight, right until the end.”
(Courtesy SPORTT)
But, a year later, the family received just $20,000 from the Sportt Company towards the funeral, which cost $118,000. The remaining $98,000 is supposedly due to be covered by the Ministry of Sport.
In Budapest, over 200 persons donated blood to Adams after his heart attack in September 2013 while his club, Ferencvaros, paid for his mother, Ancilla Dick, and brother, Akini Adams, to travel to Hungary and footed their accommodation there.
Former Portugal football star Deco, a European champion with Barcelona and Porto, was one of the former Presentation College (San Fernando) schoolboy’s more illustrious well-wishers as the playmaker auctioned his Fluminese club jersey to raise funds for the Trinidadian.
But in Trinidad, the response was mixed. Thousands of persons took to the social media to express their solidarity with the 22-year-old footballer and followed updates on his health closely.
But a TTFA fund raiser backfired when, despite the football body’s promise to send all funds to the family, it emerged that only $25 from each $100 Native Spirit tee-shirt sold actually went to the player. While TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee, Ambassador Margaret King-Rousseau and Roberts never visited Adams over the three months that he fought for his life at Varosmajori Heart Clinic in Budapest.
(Courtesy Wired868)
After Adams’ passing, Presentation College staff set up a memorial in its car park, which included a photograph, candles and flowers. It was burgled within 24 hours.
And the Adams’ family was soon let down financially as well by the controversial then Sport Minister, who spent much of 2014 fighting unsuccessfully to keep his job after a lurid drug video and the revelation of massive corruption in his LifeSport programme.
Sosa and company will try to offer a more pleasant moment for Adams’ family and well-wishers on Sunday.
The Akeem Adams XI will include: Trinidad and Tobago’s Caribbean Cup duo of Aubrey David and Leston Paul as well as Pro League players Qian Grosvenor, Sean De Silva, Jean-Luc Rochford, Mekeil Williams and Alvin Jones.
David, Paul, Grosvenor, Rochford, Williams and De Silva all played alongside Adams at the Egypt 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup while Abraham and De Silva (C) were team administrators.
Adams’ brother, Akini, is a member of the Civic club which also includes “Soca Warrior” Marvin Phillip, veteran attacker Andre Toussaint, talented midfielder Akeem Redhead and the solid defensive pair of Andre Ettienne and Weslie John.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Sosa told Wired868 that all gate receipts will go towards the Akeem Adams’ scholarship and there will be no hidden expenses.
“All money from the gates is going to the scholarship,” said Sosa. “We have paid for everything else upfront so when the money is counted that entire figure goes to the scholarship.”
Sosa explained that, at present, Adams’ family is liaising with the Ministry of Legal Affairs in an effort to have the Government keep its word on the funeral expenses. Adams comes from a humble background and his mother is a domestic worker.
Editor’s Note: The Ministry of Sport set a timeline to honour its promise to pay the Akeem Adam funeral expenses within hours of this article. Click HERE to read the assurance from the SPORTT Company.
“[…] Why do we have to partner with the GC Foster College (of Jamaica) when we have the Sport and Read more
In February 2023, immediately after receiving official word of their successful application to participate in the 16-22 July Gothia Cup Read more
Nearly a year after receiving their gold medals at a reallocation ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago’s 4x100M relay Read more
Two of our Ministers recently attended Jamaica’s Champs Track and Field Event. This was a great idea to expand the education Read more
The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) will commit a sum of TT$9m over a three-year span Read more
“[…] Trinidad and Tobago is now in possession of three gold medals at the highest level of the sport, which is Read more
SURELY UR NOT SURPRISED AT THE OUTSTANDING 98K….ARENT OUR FEMALE FUTBALLERS IN SAME BOAT..EMPTY PROMISES
POSH there big flag and all POINT WE COMING DOWN
Lasana, While we all share in the pain of the Adams family we must also get real and find out the truth
We all know that if this gov’t say that they spend 118K for funeral expenses all the critics will be shouting loud “CORRUPTION” but it is OK for his family to say 118k and you accept it even if they jacked up the figure that is OK. Im not saying that they did but if government is paying for it we should get a breakdown. ALso did you investigate if his club assist in his funeral expenses? If so how much? Im waiting on your reply
While everyone is hunting corruption within the government we are accepting and ignoring it in other places.
Hello. As far as I am aware, the club did not help with funeral expenses. And Ferencvaros was certainly generous to Akeem and his family while he was fighting for his life.
I do agree that the Government should always check invoices when taxpayers’ money is at stake. But I’m assuming this is the case in this instant as well.
If I am told otherwise, I would make an update.
We have to continue shaming them publicly, Lasana
Priorities……..
Please let it be true. Let it come to pass.
Well, this was quick…
Relief promised for Akeem Adams’ family. Sportt Company vows to clear Government’s $98,000 funeral debt within a week
http://wired868.com/2015/01/02/sportt-company-vows-to-clear-debt-to-akeem-adams-family-within-a-week/
RIP! SIS would soon liquidate this debt as a corporate entity with a social conscience and love for sports as well as being blessed with bountiful gifts of contracts via PeePee generosity to its financiers.
this young man did so much for the country, but the lil 3 year old who died in the crash kamla send one of her clowns to tell the family they are footing the entire bill for the funeral,
this issue was brought up with Tim Kee on Andre’s show as well. the TTFA has absolved itself from any responsibility and no one is standing for the family.
Thank you for the response
smh
My heart goes out to his family. All the best for the New Year
Whoever in the government has failed this family should be publicly called out. Explain to us why..what reason do they have for not paying this money? Life Sport took all? Someone needed a new TV for a hotel in St Lucia? Fed up of the nonsense.
Such a lovely face……RIP
Shame!
Sad….
Is anyone curious as to why this funeral cost as much as $118k or is this a reasonable amount?
Why did his funeral cost 100k?
I did not attend the funeral and I can’t say I have much idea about the usual costs for funerals.
I do know there might have been additional expenses because his body was flown in from Hungary while the funeral itself catered to the Ministers, MPs, Mayors, sport administrators and so on who wanted to attend the funeral.
The Ministry of Sport, allegedly via a letter, agreed to foot the bill for all of those things.
Don’t worry it would get paid,elections right round the corner.
But they had money fuh build boards of kamla face to plaster all over d highways though just ask vasant
This is getting beyond disgusting now. One billboard could have paid this bill. Steups!
Shameful
Geez… it never ends, don’t it? Sweet Trinidad, eh! The land of empty promises, unless you have connections.
All the money that flowed through Life Sport… All the Christmas gifts from the PM.
And yet…
Wtf now?
Shame…but what else do we expect?
This is a Great Shame and Disgrace SMH, Continue to Rest In Paradise Akeem!!!
I’m not surprised …… But give $$ away for rubbish
Sad though, his passing should have been used to make sure players in leagues in Trinidad have medical insurance / care should unexpected situations occur.
What about the money from the t shirts ? Didn’t most of the proceeds not end up with his family
For every T-shirt sold, barely 25% of the money actually went to the family. Stuffed Akeem in life and death.
🙁 really? that’s ………….. sad