Lonestar May Boycott Togo’s Trip
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By Julu M. Johnson, Jr. In Monrovia
The Ministry of Youth and Sports in Monrovia has disclosed that the
national football team of Liberia, the Lone Star is faced with the
difficulty of honoring the weekend encounter with the Hawks of Togo in
Lome.
The fast-approaching battle is the one Togo badly needs to win in
order to strengthen her chance of reaching the 2006 World Cup finals
in Germany, the first time the country may be competing in the finals
of such competition.
The Sports Ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Mohamed V. Kamara
made it clear on Tuesday that efforts to secure at least US$20,000.00
from the Liberian government have failed.
Mr. Kamara quoted the Liberian head of state, Gyude Bryant as saying
that the government was not in the position of providing money for the
national team’s trip.
Apart from the government, the Sports Ministry spokesman said several
persons, including candidates in the pending elections, were written
to assist the team honor its last away match but to no avail.
“If anybody can see reason in helping the team up to Friday, that will
be fine,” Kamara appealed.
He, however, noted that the situation would not stall the team’s
ongoing training exercises on grounds that there is still optimism.
Last month, the Sports Ministry revealed that a total of US$31,710.00
was needed to enable the team leave for Lome.
Accordingly, the amount in question would go towards airfare
(US$22,410.00), players per diem (US$1,800.00), officials per diem
(US$2,400.00), airport tax (US$1,200.00), drugs and water
(US$1,400.00), seven-day training (US$1,500.00) and contingency
(US$1,000.00).
When addressing a news conference, officials, of the Sports Ministry
revealed that when Sports Minister, Counsellor Wheatonia Y.
Dixon-Barnes approached Chairman Bryant on the matter, she was
instructed to seek assistance from the numerous presidential aspirants
because the government was not in the position to sponsor the team’s
travel, citing the usual no money syndrome.
They also said fruitless efforts were made through the chairman on
Youth and Sports, Buster Verdier in order to prevail on the NTLA to
pass a budget for the national team.
They meanwhile declared that a four-man committee was set up by the
Sports Ministry to “look” for the amount.
Liberia lies at the bottom of Group One with four points from eight
matches. The country has no hope chance of qualifying for either the
World Cup in Germany or the African Nations Cup finals in Egypt.
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