Sports Minister Gary Hunt told reporters Thursday the Government of Trinidad and Tobago allocated $650,000 to prepare the national cricket team for the recent Airtel Champions League Twenty 20 tournament in India.
But a report in the NEWSDAY newspaper Friday attributed to the TT Cricket Board CEO Forbes Persaud said the board has not received any money so far.
Hunt boasted that the Government would continue to "put its money where its mouth is, without fanfare, to create the foundation for sports glory on a sustained basis."
He told reporters in addition to the $650,000 his ministry has provided over $14.4 million to the cricket board for development program. And he said there was more.
"In addition, the Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Development Company (TIDCO) also contributed $100,000 to the team’s efforts," he said adding that "The Government did all that was asked by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control."
He also clared up what he said was "a public misconception" over the funding of the airfare and accommodation for the TT cricket team to go to India. He said the tournament organizers paid for that.
Persaud disputed the minister statements. He told NEWSDAY the $650,000 the minister talked about was not specifically given for the Twenty 20 tournament.
“We have received no money specifically for the Airtel Champions League but we have been given money at the start of the year for developmental program and team preparation,” the paper quoted Persaud as saying.
The paper said Persaud explained that team preparation costs over $500,000 since the team competes in several tournaments every year.
It also said Persaud confirmed that TIDCO made a pledge of $100,000 for the national team for the India tournament but has not provided any funds so far.
“TIDCO wrote to us and said that they would give us $100,000. We have not received the money as yet, but we have that commitment in black and white,” said Persaud.
Hunt was full of praise for the national team which he said exemplifies “all that is good and noble about the people of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a vibrant, disciplined and diverse unit, that is brimming with self confidence.”
But he did not talk about the controversy over the return of the team, which placed second in the tournament.
The controversy started even before bthne team left. Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner had to intervene to get captain Darren Ganga to be granted leave from the state-owned Petrotrin. The energy company had refused Ganga's application for leave. When Warner made it a national issue Energy Minister Conrad Enill instructed the company to let Ganga go to India.
On the team's return home Hunt said there would be no reception for them because they did not win. That incensed Warner who said it demonstrated the government's disdain for sports in general.
Read the story: Warner slams "incompetent" sports minister
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