It will take a grand effort by football’s world governing body, FIFA, for the now controversial Home Of Football in Balmain, Couva, to achieve the purpose it was built for, vice president of the Couva, Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce and owner of the Metro Hotel in Couva, Mukesh Ramsingh told Guardian Media Sports on Wednesday.
The popular central businessman listed a number of factors why the facility could not operate at a profit, pointing out that the concerns ranged from design flaws, poor location, no kitchen or laundry areas to facilitate large numbers, no concessionaires and general flaws to its structure, among many others. He said FIFA, itself would have to invest heavily or send teams to the facility in numbers, if sports tourism is to take place at the facility.
“In fact there was a time when my hotel was really booked up and I called the T&T Football Association (TTFA) office under David John-Williams for work but I was told that the facility was not ready, and this was after the official opening of the facility,” Ramsingh said.
The multi-million-dollar facility is equipped with 72 rooms, luxury dinning and media areas, an entertainment centre, a futsal, beach soccer and outdoor fields but despite approvals given by the FIFA on more than at least two occasions, the new William Wallace-led administration closed the facility soon after assuming office, saying there are pending approvals and no property insurance.
There are claims that there's no safety measures in the case of a fire, no reliable water supply as water has to be taken from the Sport Company of T&T situated just beside it.
Ramsingh said as Chamber vice president he got the opportunity to visit the Home of Football under John-Williams and Wallace, and he supports the latter for the decision to close the facility, noting that while he believes that the FIFA’s aim is to avoid having another Centre of Excellence, it would require the injection of lots and lots of funds by FIFA to keep the facility afloat, or the sport’s governing world body have to take the lead position in getting teams to come to T&T to use the facility.
“Had Wallace or even John-Williams taken the chance to use the facility, it would have cost the TTFA a lot of money, and thereby doing the opposite of what it was constructed for. There are huge overheads to be covered first before you can think of making a profit. For my hotel alone it costs $100,000 in overheads and at the Home of Football, it is significantly higher,” Ramsingh said.
He predicted that to bring the Home of Football up to readiness, it would take a further $1.5 million. Ramsingh said: “It’s more of a dormitory-like facility. There is nothing for hoteliers to expect when they exit the facility, no vendors or entertainment as it is in the middle of nowhere.”
Ramsingh’s views on the Home of Football come a day after president of the Central Football Association (CFA) Shymdeo Gosine said the decision by the Wallace-led football administration to close down the facility was one of many key decisions that would have influenced the FIFA to appoint a Normalisation Committee to conduct the affairs of T&T football.
But Ramsingh believes the facility was not ready after its glamorous opening in November and is still not ready to conduct any business at this point in time.
