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The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) has asked attorney Tyrone Marcus for help in determining the “bonafide status” of St Benedict’s College captain and star forward Derrel ‘Zoom Zoom’ Garcia.
Marcus’ legal advice, according to SSFL general secretary Azaad Khan, will then be “submitted to the disciplinary committee for its consideration”.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
The issue at hand is St Benedict’s College apparent failure to formally request Garcia’s reinstatement from the Ministry of Education, after the gifted player spent a year out of school pursuing a football opportunity in Spain.
Khan did not offer a deadline for Marcus’ report, or the disciplinary committee’s subsequent ruminations. It is uncertain too whether the disciplinary committee, headed by East Zone chair Adesh Dwarika, requested a legal opinion—or if the SSFL executive, led by president Merere Gonzales, decided on its own to make one available to the former body.
Wired868 understands that the disciplinary committee allegedly made a recommendation to the SSFL over the weekend. However, neither the executive nor the disciplinary committee has revealed what that is.
It is now four weeks since Wired868 revealed a damning report by two Ministry of Education officials on Garcia’s student-athlete status. St Benedict’s have played five games since then, with Garcia scoring 12 times—yet the SSFL administrators remain unable to make a decision.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
On Friday, St Benedict’s College, ostensibly the 2024 Premier Division champions, will try to lay claim to the South Zone Intercol trophy as well when they face Naparima College from 5.30pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Gonzales-led SSFL is trying to determine what exactly is a legitimate student. And they want an attorney, rather than the Ministry of Education, to tell them.
(SSFL – Derrel Garcia timeline)
- 2 October 2024: Derrel Garcia returns to the SSFL and captains St Benedict’s College in a 1-0 win over San Juan North Secondary, although he had not attended school in over 15 months.
- 5 October 2024: Garcia snatches the headlines with a hattrick in a win over defending champions Fatima College and Look Loy questions whether the correct processes were followed in his return. (If St Benedict’s or the SSFL acted at this point, the school might have lost just six points.)
- 8 October 2024: Garcia attends class at St Benedict’s for the first time since June 2023. He had played three times in the 2024 season and twice in 2023 without being an active student.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
- 16 October 2024: Two school supervisors in south Trinidad declare, after investigations, that Garcia is an invalid student and recommend that principal Gregory Quan Kep be suspended and charged by the Teaching Service Commission.
- 23 October 2024: Wired868 reveals probe by the school supervisors.
- 25 October 2024: SSFL writes acting Chief Education Officer for information on Garcia’s eligibility.
- 7 November 2024: Acting Chief Education Officer offers vague response to SSFL queries.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
- 8 November 2024: SSFL confirms receipt of response from Ministry of Education but sets crucial disciplinary committee meeting for six days later.
- 14 November 2024: SSFL disciplinary committee fails to make a decision, citing insufficient information.
- 19 November 2024: The SSFL still has no answer on Derrel Garcia’s status as a student-athlete, but they hire attorney Tyrone Marcus to help them figure it out.
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The ministry already said he is a student but yet certain ppl still questioning his validity smh and yes the one pushing it had so thing to gain. Ssfl is over,they won,we’re into the 2rd game of the Intercol and ppl still trying g to victimize the players that they couldn’t beat on the field smh.
Can you give me the quote from the ministry that you’re referring to?
I asked the initial questions about procedute in this matter, which obviously needed to be asked. “Obviously”, because look at the chaos my questions have caused as people in both the League and the Ministry flail around trying either to answer or not answer them. I and all fed up of their unprofessional behaviour. You would think the Ministry could provide ready answers upon which the League could make a timely decision. But nah. Not them. I’m also amused by the virulence of the SBC mob, which apparently refuses to entertain anything resembling a question in this matter becausectheyre interested in ending their decades long wait for a title. Sadly, they hide behind all manner of camouflage, championing “black boys”, “South people” and “talented players” as if no other school in South (or anywhere else) has talented black boys on its roll. And they specialize in ad hominem attack. The truth is that all the authorities involved in this – the school, the league and the Ministry – have spectacularly mucked up this little issue by allowing it to fester for months. What evidence is available should have easily provided a ready and authoritative decision on the boy’s status as a registered student and a registered player. I expect nothing to come of all this. But this is Trini. Anything goes and nobody is in charge.
The fairness, transparency and accountability of both the 2024 Premier League and the 2024 Coca-Cola Boys Intercol have been compromised by the continued delay of the SSFL in making a determination regarding the “bonafide status” of St. Benedict’s College captain and star forward Derrel ‘Zoom Zoom’ Garcia.
The SSFL has brought the Premier League and the Intercol competitions into grave disrepute.
The 2024 Coca-Cola Boys Intercol competition should have never been started without resolving the bonafide status of Derrel ‘Zoom Zoom’ Garcia and penalizing St. Benedict’s College in the 2024 Premier League.
At this point in time, with St. Benedict’s College progressing to the Nationals of the 2024 Coca-Cola Boys Intercol with the matter of the 2024 Premier League still not determined, with the apparent facilitation of the SSFL; and both Naparima College and Presentation College knocked out of the 2024 Boys Intercol, both schools together with East Mucurapo Secondary School, should consider pooling their resources to obtain a court order/court injunction stopping any further games in the 2024 Coca-Cola Boys Intercol.
This dragging on too long. Poor child’s name getting getting tainted by people with an agenda. But an absolute joy to watch him play football. Hope it comes out well for.him.
If we used to pursue criminals the way we fighting down this talented young footballer, we would have no crime in Trinidad today. I hope if he decides to play for another country in the future we don’t cry and have regrets.