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CHAIRMAN OF the normalisation committee Robert Hadad welcomes the one-year extension granted by FIFA to help complete its mandate.
This comes after the sport’s governing body affirmed, on Friday, that the committee will remain at the helm of Trinidad and Tobago football until March 31, 2023. This was confirmed by FIFA’s general secretary Fatma Samoura on Friday.
Initially, the normalisation committee’s tenure was scheduled to end on March 26, 2022.
But, owing to an array of legal drawbacks stemming from the TTFA board of directors’ disagreement with the committee’s appointment in March 2020, partnered with covid19 pandemic challenges, FIFA has opted to extend the committee’s reign for an additional year to assist them in achieving their core objectives.
The normalisation committee, comprising Hadad, deputy chairperson Judy Daniel, Nigel Romano and Nicholas Gomez, was appointed by FIFA after the William Wallace-led executive was removed by the governing body owing to mounting debt and mismanagement.
The normalisation committee was given the mandate to run TTFA (TT Football Association)’s daily affairs and establish a debt repayment plan that is implementable by the TTFA administration.
They were also charged with reviewing and amending the TTFA Statutes (and other regulations where necessary), and ensure their compliance with FIFA Statutes and requirements before duly submitting them for approval to the TTFA Congress, and to organise and conduct elections of a new TTFA executive committee for a four-year mandate.
Hadad was pleased to continue in his role and believes the additional time given by FIFA would be used to achieve the mandate and help return TT football administration to some state of normality.
“We are ready to continue the work of the normalisation process and we look forward to 2022 with hope and optimism,” he said via WhatsApp on Friday.
The FIFA statement read, “The Bureau (of the FIFA council) took note that the actions taken by members of the former board of directors of the TTFA greatly hindered and significantly impacted the work and mandate of the normalisation committee, as it had to devote considerable effort to countering such actions.
“In addition, that the tasks assigned to the normalisation committee were subsequently delayed due to the covid19 pandemic and sanitary restrictions imposed by the government of TT. The Bureau also took note that there were certain issues that led to the backlog in the normal operations of the TTFA, including finance.
[caption id="attachment_931361" align="alignnone" width="576"] Keith Look Loy -[/caption]
“This contributed to the inability to appoint an independent auditor, which in turn meant that no audited financial statements could be prepared (and thus presented); the inability to make payments directly to the TTFA’s bank account due to a high risk of garnishment, thereby restricting the TTFA from making immediate payments when necessary and having more freedom with regard to the use of the funds; and the budget cuts imposed due to the multiple claims and payment demands from creditors.”
The Bureau also acknowledged that in November, due to the current total debts of the TTFA, the normalisation committee notified the office of the Supervisory of Insolvency of its intention to make a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act of TT.
They then partnered with a licensed trustee under the Act to manage the debt proposal process.
“Under the above-described circumstances and considering all the urgent and complex challenges the TTFA is still facing, the Bureau decided on December 17 to extend the mandate of the normalisation committee until 31 March 2023 at the latest.”
However, Keith Look Loy, who campaigned for Wallace’s successful election in November 2019, said the committee’s one-year extension by FIFA was foreseeable.
“Well, I could have seen this coming from around the block. The FIFA bosses need to retain control of TTFA and to secure its vote in FIFA Congress.
“God alone knows who and what will inherit TTFA from Hadad. So (Gianni) Infantino (FIFA president) must maintain the current status quo. But this is exactly what TTFA members wrote to Infantino on bended knee literally begging for.
“They got exactly what they asked for and now are cowed into subservience because they are afraid to stand on their own legs, and are addicted to dependence on FIFA funding that they never receive the benefit of.
“People will use and abuse you as you allow them to. So TT football deserves the contempt with which it is being treated by its masters in Zurich (FIFA headquarters),” he said.
 
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