Dear Editor,
The Qatar 22 World Cup match, Puerto Rico vs Trinidad and Tobago, saw our National flag being flown upside down. This is disgraceful and falls at the feet of the team's management who failed to pay due attention to details. These highly paid officials have not even offered an apology, perhaps, in the expectation of this being soon forgotten.
The disrespect to our National Colours and symbols continues. In 1982 in Jamaica, while the spectators were standing for our anthem, to our surprise the accompanying music was to the tune of Penguin's "A Deputy"s Essential" and todate, No known action was taken against the officials.
Managers like Ollie Camps, Ivan Carter, Desmond O'Brien, Brigadier Ralph Brown (ret), Peter Rampersad, to name a few, were so competent that such a situation would never have occured, even when the Technical Staff was limited to only three volunteers, unlike today's up to nine contracted.
Our friendly vs USA also saw us in a blue jersey, nothing of our red, white and black. Selection on our national teams brings with it a legitimately owned right and expectation to," wear our national colours."
Yet for the large contingent of officials we are seeing faux pas after faux pas. Certainly, the time has come for a fixed design of our players jersey instead of each sponsor bringing a new design. For as long as we know it, many teams are identifiable by their outfit - Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Jamaica, England, USA, Argentina, among others.
Respect to our colours and national should be adhered to at all times and at every ocassion or event.
Lennox Sirjuesingh.
Former FIFA Referee and
Coordinator Patriotic Organisation of Trinbago.