- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 25/Jul 05:51

Ministry: Hockey Board non-compliant in submitting audited financial statements

THE Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs said the reason the TT hockey teams did not receive funding in time to compete at the Pan American Cup is that the TT Hockey Board has been "non-compliant in submitting audited financial statements on time and has not yet submitted statements for 2024." The ministry also said the TTHB only requested funding for the Pan Am Cup in early May. A media release sent on July 24 said, "Its (TTHB) failure to adhere to the funding policies established by the Sports Company of TT (SporTT) significantly hindered the funding approval process, resulting in delays that negatively impacted team preparations." A TT men's and women's hockey team were scheduled to compete at the Pan Am Cup in Montevideo, Uruguay, from July 24 to August 3. The ministry said the absence of TT at the hockey tournament gives them "deep disappointment." Giving details of the TTHB's lack of timely request for funding, the release said, "Notably, the TTHB submitted its funding request on May 4, 2025, although both the men’s and women’s teams had qualified for the tournament in 2024 and 2022, respectively, and had been in preparation since January 2025." The release said the TTHB also owes money to the Sport Company of TT, totalling approximately $88,000, dating back to 2022. The ministry would have disbursed funds for numerous tournaments since 2022 and the TTHB is owing the ministry money that was not used for past trips overseas. For example, $1,611,787 was given to the TTHB for the Senior Pan American Cup 2022 and $45,098.27 was unused, an amount the ministry has not been reimbursed. The ministry said they were not aware of the severe punishment that the TT hockey players would face. "Further, the TTHB did not inform the SporTT of the implications of non-participation (withdrawal), though they were fully aware of the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) deposits and withdrawals policy as of 21 August 2024, which requires national associations (NA) to notify PAHF of a withdrawal more than 16 weeks before a tournament, without penalty." The minister of sport is devastated that the hockey players will not get to represent the country. "The honourable Phillip Watts, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, expressed his disappointment with the situation and noted that when sport governing bodies fail to address financial and compliance matters such as these, it is the athletes that pay the ultimate price." The post Ministry: Hockey Board non-compliant in submitting audited financial statements appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.