WIFA to focus on new competition and capacity building

Two new competitions would soon be on the agenda of the Windward Islands Football Association (WIFA), along with efforts to strengthen critical components of the sport in the four islands.{{more}}

The two – a senior women’s and an Under-14 male exercise are set for 2015 and 2016 respectively.

These were a couple of the decisions taken when the presidents of the respective Football Associations and Federations of the four-island grouping met here last weekend in caucus.

Host president Venold Coombs of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) and president of WIFA, at a press briefing last Saturday morning explained: “Our desire in carrying women’s football forward, we would have the first tournament in St Vincent in 2015.”

Coombs added, “We took the decision that we are going to have a Windwards Under-14 tournament … Under-14 because we want to keep in line with international obligations at the youth level.”

The two new competitions follow the restart of the senior men’s tournament in 2013, following over a decade of not taking place.

It was revived in 2013, when St Vincent and the Grenadines hosted, while Dominica hosted the other three islands earlier this year.

St Lucia will host the 2015 edition, with Grenada slated to do so in 2016.

But competitions would not be all the focus of WIFA, as outlined by president of the Grenada Football Association Cheney Joseph.

“We are going to focus a lot on building capacity,” Joseph said. Joseph confirmed that other facets of the sport will also get a look in.

“What I think we have to do in the next few years is look at a few areas, focus on it and develop on it,” the GFA president added.

In highlighting some of the areas, Joseph revealed: “We are going to lobby for a meeting of our elite referees: our top three males, our top three females in the Windward Islands, which would be about 24 persons, to get additional training, whether it is from CONCACAF or FIFA.”

Joseph said the same could be the case in the other technical capacities, such as coaching and physiotherapy.

Thumbing the area of coaching, Joseph rhetorically asked, “Which one of us in the four regions has a coach who is in demand beyond our borders – none! Not even Antigua would feel, let me send for one of the Vincentian coaches to coach my team… or even Trinidad which has so many pro league teams.”

Last weekend’s meeting was also attended by president of the St Lucia Football Association Lindon Cooper and president of the Dominica Football Association Glen Etienne. (RT)