QPCC, Trendsetter Hawks, Ball Blasters Youth Academy and Pro Series snagged a trophy apiece as the 2025 Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) concluded on a dramatic afternoon at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Saturday 24 May. The Ball Blasters fell to a stoppage time winner from Pro Series …
Read More »Dear Editor: Mulraine is right; TTFA must invest in talent identification
“[…] Instead of relying on one-off screening sessions, the TTFA should establish a structured scouting network that monitors players across various competitions such as the Republic Bank National Youth Football League, the All-Star Showcase, and the City Cup. “Trained scouts would track players over the course of a season, evaluating …
Read More »Mulraine: Screening sessions to select national youth teams is lazy, inefficient and outdated
“[…] Anyone who has gone through this process knows the folly of trying to select the ‘best’ 20 players out of 100s of young footballers who will turn up. Sometimes a gem has a bad day. Sometimes he is placed on a team with only strange faces and he hardly …
Read More »Dear Editor: TTFA miscommunication denied East U-15 boys of national shot
“[…] Two days ago, it came to my attention, via the TTFA Facebook page, that screening for U15 boys were to be conducted for Mayaro and the North Zone on 17 and 18 May. “This news piqued my interest and I began enquiring through the ‘grapevine’, on when the East …
Read More »“He was the heartbeat of our team!” Eagles honour teenaged captain Kaniel Davidson
“[…] Kaniel Davidson was more than just a player—he was the heartbeat of our team. A natural leader on and off the field, Kaniel brought passion, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to excellence that uplifted everyone around him. “[…] Off the field, Kaniel was just as remarkable: warm, respectful, driven, …
Read More »Dear Editor: Gov’t must support community groups helping boys like Zwade
“[…] The government must do more than offer condolences. It must fund, support, and scale the grassroots programmes already working. “It must empower community leaders like Uncle Keron, coaches like Wayne Sheppard, and academies like Arima Araucans and Trendsetter Hawks who are giving these boys structure, purpose, and belief. “These …
Read More »“A young soul taken far too soon”; TTFA mourns murdered school footballer, Zwade Alleyne
“[…] Zwade Alleyne’s passing follows a senseless act of violence that has left us all grieving, outraged, and searching for answers… We mourn the loss of a young soul taken far too soon…” The following press statement on the death of 17-year-old Arima North Secondary student Zwade Alleyne was submitted …
Read More »Zwade Alleyne dies; Arima student succumbs to injuries from Maloney shooting
Seventeen-year-old Arima North Secondary form five student Zwade Alleyne died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope, today. Alleyne did not recover from his injuries after being shot in the head outside of his apartment in Building 12, Maloney, by an unidentified gunman last Saturday. The gunman remains …
Read More »Arima North student and footballer, Zwade Alleyne, shot in head—family ask for prayers
Arima North Secondary student and footballer Zwade Alleyne is in critical condition after being shot in the head outside of his home in Maloney last night. Alleyne, who helped Maloney Real Footballers Academy into the Trinidad quarterfinal round of the 2025 Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) East Under-17 …
Read More »Ex-Dial Dynamos standout, Ezekiel Ramdialsingh, murdered at 17
The Arima North Secondary football programme is in mourning after the murder of former standout defender and 2023 East Intercol winner Ezekiel Ramdialsingh. Ramdialsingh, a Manuel Congo resident who graduated from Arima North in June 2024, was gunned down in La Horquetta last night. He was 17 years old. Unconfirmed …
Read More »“Ridiculous to say we’re weaponising safeguarding!” St Rose on Cooper, NLCL suspensions
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) Safeguarding manager Gary St Rose has defended the integrity of the local body’s operation and denied that the function designed for the welfare of minors has been weaponised. The Safeguarding unit was criticised last November for its decision to suspend the NLCL Under-19 Community …
Read More »Dear Editor: It’s dangerous to dismiss safeguarding complaints—‘disgruntled’ parents add value
“[…] The pattern is familiar: someone speaks up, gets labelled, and only later do we come to understand the weight of what they tried to reveal. “To be clear, I am not accusing anyone currently under a safeguarding ban of criminal behaviour. That is not my claim. “My point is …
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