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“[…] My deepest concern is for the athletes. These young men and women trained for months, in some cases years, with the dream of representing Trinidad and Tobago on the international stage. Many made personal sacrifices.
“[…] For these athletes, [this tournament] was the end result of hard work, hope, discipline, and national pride. It is disheartening that, in an effort to make an example of the TTHB, the authorities have instead crushed the spirits of our young sportsmen and women…”
The following Letter to the Editor on the withdrawal of the Trinidad and Tobago National Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams from the 2025 Pan American Cup in Uruguay was submitted to Wired868 by A Concerned Parent:
Photo: AP Photo.
In response to the Ministry of Sport and SporTT’s recent media release regarding the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board (TTHB) withdrawal of its national teams from the Pan American Cup, I feel compelled to offer some clarification and reflection—especially for the sake of the athletes who are the real victims in this unfortunate situation.
Firstly, it is important to acknowledge that the submission of audited financial statements is a process that often takes several months to complete. In most organisations, including national sport governing bodies, these are typically submitted at the annual general meeting (AGM).
Delays in submission are not uncommon and, crucially, do not necessarily imply wrongdoing. The TTHB’s AGM is scheduled for November 2025.
Photo: Pan Am Hockey Federation.
The media release makes a point of sharing the sums disbursed to the TTHB for previous tournaments. While transparency is important, one must question the intention behind publicising these figures.
Is it to raise awareness, or to subtly suggest excessive spending?
For context, the government has invested significantly more in other sport projects, such as in the LifeSport programme, with little to no return on that investment.
In contrast, the TTHB has a history of producing teams that qualify for high-level international competition, which brings pride to the country.
It is notable that the Ministry did not accuse the TTHB of misappropriation of funds. Being in arrears does not amount to criminal behaviour.
In fact, a more constructive approach by SporTT might have been to deduct outstanding balances from new funding requests—a method used by many financial institutions when dealing with clients who are both indebted and seeking new funds.
This solution, though simple, would have allowed the teams to compete while maintaining financial accountability.
Photo: Dirk Allahar/ BCreative Designs/ Wired868.
Furthermore, the media release stated that the required outstanding reports were submitted on 14 July 2025, giving the Ministry and SporTT seven full days to approve the fund before the start of the Pan American Cup.
One must ask: what is the real reason the final approval was not granted?
Seven days may be tight, but with urgency, coordination, and political will, the process could have been completed. Instead, the teams were left in limbo.
The Ministry also stated that the TTHB did not inform SporTT of the implications of withdrawal. This assertion is puzzling, as anyone familiar with international sport would know the serious consequences of withdrawing from a tournament—especially after having invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to get both the men’s and women’s teams qualified.
Despite this prior investment, funding was withheld at the final hour. On Wednesday at 3pm, players were informed that the TTHB had not received the required funds and that they would not be traveling.
By that time, it was already past the latest possible departure time (2pm) to reach Uruguay in time for their first match on Thursday—hence the TTHB had no other option than to withdrawal the teams from the tournament.
Photo: Pan Am Sports.
My deepest concern is for the athletes. These young men and women trained for months, in some cases years, with the dream of representing Trinidad and Tobago on the international stage. Many made personal sacrifices.
One athlete travelled from England, at his own expense, to represent his country. Another continues to resist negative influences in his community by staying committed to the sport, while one young lady, a resident of the St Mary’s Home for Children, earned her place on the team through hard work and dedication and was so excited to play on the international stage.
This was not just a hockey tournament. For these athletes, it was the end result of hard work, hope, discipline, and national pride. It is disheartening that, in an effort to make an example of the TTHB, the authorities have instead crushed the spirits of our young sportsmen and women.
Photo: Pan Am Hockey.
Sport is one of the last remaining platforms that unite, inspire, and uplift our youth. If we continue to penalise them for administrative shortcomings beyond their control, we risk discouraging an entire generation of athletes.
Let us remember: in these situations, it is not only an organisation that suffers the consequences—it is our youth, our national teams, and our country’s sporting future.
We must do better. And we must start by asking the right question: what was the real reason these teams were not supported to compete?
Photo: Office of the Parliament 2025.
(Excerpt from Ministry of Sport and SporTT on hockey withdrawal)
“[…] The TTHB has been non-compliant in submitted audited financial statements on time and has not yet submitted statements for 2024. Its failure to adhere to the funding policies established by the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) significantly hindered the funding approval process, resulting in delays that negatively impacted team preparations.
“[…] The Honourable Phillip Watts, minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, expressed his disappointment with the situation and noted that when the sport governing bodies fail to address financial and compliance matters such as these, it is the athletes that pay the ultimate price.”
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