Trinidad and Tobago

CCRIF 2023 Scholarship and Internship Programmes for Caribbean Nationals

admin — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 05:00:01 +0000

CCRIF 2023 Scholarship and Internship Programmes for Caribbean Nationals

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admin Tue, 06/06/2023 - 05:00

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

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NOW Grenada

Original Article

CCRIF 2023 Scholarship and Internship Programmes for Caribbean Nationals

CCRIF invites Caribbean nationals to apply for its scholarship and internship programmes for 2023 (https://www.ccrif.org/scholarship and https://www.ccrif.org/ccrif –uwi –scholarships for scholarships and https://www.ccrif.org/regional internship –programme for internships).

Since 2010, CCRIF has been providing undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships to Caribbean nationals in areas related to disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, meteorology, environmental management, and civil engineering among others. In 2015, the Facility launched its flagship internship programme for Caribbean nationals by partnering with regional organisations and governments to host these interns and provide them with the opportunity to integrate their academic knowledge with the work environment.

In addition to being the world’s first risk pool providing parametric insurance to its 24 members, (19 Caribbean Governments, 3 Central American Governments and 2 Caribbean public utilities), CCRIF is also committed to building capacity and resilience in disaster risk management among its members. This is done through the CCRIF Technical Assistance

Programme, whereby support is provided to member countries and regional organisations in the development and implementation of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation projects and programmes. The CCRIF Scholarship and Internship Programmes are also part of the TA Programme. The CCRIF TA Programme operates as the Facility’s corporate social responsibility programme and consists of 4 components.

At the launch of this year’s scholarship and internship programmes, CCRIF CEO Isaac Anthony said, “As a development insurance company, CCRIF is committed to creating a more sustainable future for the region we call home. The scholarship and internship programmes were designed to build a cadre of professionals who can effectively contribute to comprehensive disaster risk management and reduce the vulnerabilities in the region, build resilience and fulfill the ambition of making the Caribbean the world’s first climate-resilient region in the world.”

Since the first scholarships and first internships were offered in 2010 and 2015 respectively, CCRIF has provided 165 scholarships for postgraduate and undergraduate study totalling US$1.7 million and 152 internships totalling US$409,000.

For 2023, CCRIF will continue to provide 4 scholarships of US$8,000 each to UWI students for their second and final years of their undergraduate degree. At the postgraduate level, CCRIF will provide 6 scholarships of US$11,000 each to students at Caribbean universities, including The UWI (Cave Hill, Mona and St. Augustine campuses), University of Technology Jamaica, University of Guyana, and University of Trinidad and Tobago among others. Eligible areas of study include but are not limited to Geography/Geology, Disaster Risk Management, Natural Resources Management, Climate Change, Civil Engineering, Meteorology and Land Management.

The deadline for 2023 applications to both scholarship programmes is 3 July 2023.

CCRIF’s Regional Internship Programme is designed to provide opportunities for recent university graduates who have degrees in the areas of disaster risk management, environmental management, actuarial science, geography, climate studies and other similar areas to be assigned to national and regional organisations in the Caribbean where their educational experience can be enhanced through practical work assignments.

Host organisations have included national disaster management and meteorology agencies as well as regional entities, including the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), Office of Disaster and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Jamaica, and departments and centres within The UWI, among many other organisations. CCRIF provides stipends to all its interns and accommodation allowances when interns are assigned to organisations outside of their home country.

The deadline for 2023 applications to the regional internship programme is 9 June 2023.

The CCRIF Internship Programme is one of the largest in the Caribbean Region for areas related to disaster risk management and is welcomed by both young graduates and host organisations. Kenneth Kerr, a former Climate Specialist at the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service, had this to say after hosting interns for a few years: “The programme continues to grow the local scientific community footprint/talent in many ways and provides opportunities to foster relationships through mentorship and training. It allows for building a stream of young and qualified talents and offers them scope to try out different avenues along their career paths.”

Some of the benefits of the internship programme are:

Caribbean

News

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:50:01 +0000

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:50

Thursday, March 17, 2022

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Business - The BVI Beacon

Original Article

Territory added to EU ‘grey list’

The Virgin Islands has been added to the European Union’s “grey list” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere, the EU Council announced after its meeting on Feb. 24.

Besides the VI, the EU added the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Israel, Montserrat, Russia, Tunisia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam, bringing the total list up to 25 jurisdictions.

Although the inclusion does not mean that any penalties or sanctions will be levied against the territory, according to the EU, the move represents a significant setback after the territory rushed through economic substance legislation at the end of 2019 in order to meet EU requirements on tax reform.

In a Feb. 24 press release, the EU Council said that the list reflects “ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to adhere to agreed tax good governance standards.”

The countries on the grey list are working toward meeting the EU’s tax standards, the release stated.

According to the EU, criteria for the list cover tax transparency, fair taxation and preventing tax base erosion and profit shifting. The organisation called implementation of the list a “dynamic process,” and noted that the next revision is scheduled for October of this year.

Anguilla, Botswana, Costa Rica, Dominica, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Qatar, the Seychelles, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay were previously added and remain on the grey list.

The blacklist, which remained unchanged after last month’s announcement, currently includes American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu.

VI response

At a press conference late last month, Premier Andrew Fahie urged onlookers not to view the move as a censure of the territory.

He said the grey-listing meant the VI has “substantially met all international tax standards set out by the EU, but that ongoing improvements are being made to implementing tax good governance.”

As a result, he said, it has been grey-listed while it implements policies and procedures in the territory’s Country-by-Country Reporting framework.

“No defensive measures flow from being on such list and the BVI is still a cooperative jurisdiction,” he said. “Once the BVI meets these commitments, it will be removed from the annex.”

He added that the territory “takes its international obligations seriously” and had already been finalising the necessary steps to ensure successful implementation of the recommendations.

This week, BVI Finance CEO Elise Donovan directed queries to the Premier’s Office. Director of Communications Dr. Arliene Penn said, “BVI’s addition to EU’s Annex II is a positive rating for us because it acknowledges that BVI is a cooperative jurisdiction that has implemented measures (in the case of the Country-by-Country Reporting) in accordance with the high international standards prescribed. The BVI remains highly committed to the transparency and international cooperation agenda.”

The EU has hinted for some time that it would seek to modify its requirements for the list, the latest iteration of which was announced last October.

In February 2021, the European parliament passed a resolution calling for a measure that would automatically blacklist British territories like the VI, the Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands that have a zero percent corporate tax rate — and that now have a weakened voice in the EU in the wake of the United Kingdom’s split from the organisation.

The resolution did not mention the VI at the time, but it came before the revelation that nearly two-thirds of companies named in the far-reaching Pandora Papers investigation last year were based in the VI.

Panama, which is already on the EU blacklist, was host to the second highest number.

World response

Meanwhile, the EU Observer reported late last month that tax-reform campaigners are already applauding the news.

Chiara Putaturo, a campaigner with the non-profit Oxfam, praised the move, but complained that the Cayman Islands was not included.

“If the [new] grey-listing … is confirmed, we will see some real tax havens finally at risk to be blacklisted [in the future],” she said. “However, there are still other tax havens that are left off the hook, … such as the Cayman Islands, because the criteria remain weak.”

History

As in other OTs, leaders in the VI have long criticised the EU’s blacklists as arbitrary and misleading, maintaining that the territory’s financial services industry is tightly regulated in keeping with international standards.

Nevertheless, the VI was grey-listed along with other jurisdictions in 2017. In March 2018, the EU concluded that the VI, the Bahamas and Cayman needed further technical guidance from the EU and had until the end of 2019 to adapt local legislation, which resulted in the Economic Substance Act being rushed through the House of Assembly in late 2018.

Thanks to this move, the VI was white-listed, alongside 16 other jurisdictions, in February 2020.

The post Territory added to EU ‘grey list’ first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

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Sue over blacklist, says economist

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 17:40:01 +0000

Sue over blacklist, says economist

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 17:40

Thursday, April 28, 2022

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Original Article

Sue over blacklist, says economist

Caribbean countries that live in fear of being blacklisted by the European Union should band together and take legal action, according to Barbados-based economist and Caribbean policy expert Marla Dukharan.

“I felt like there should be some legal recourse that should be pursued collectively,” Ms. Dukharan said on Feb. 23 on the regional livestreamed show “Territories Talk,” hosted by Shaina Smith-Archer, chairwoman of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association.

The EU blacklist often comes under fire in the VI for being a moving target.

Ms. Dukharan said it is also unfair. EU member states such as the Netherlands and Ireland are “well known for their extensive money laundering and tax evading activities,” but have never been included on any EU blacklist, she said.

To her, this suggests Eurocentrism or even racism, and perhaps an effort to undermine countries that are “eating part of their pie,” she said of the EU.

Grey-listed

In February, the territory was added to the EU’s “grey list,” along with nine other jurisdictions in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

Besides the VI, the EU added the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Israel, Montserrat, Russia, Tunisia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Vietnam, bringing the total on the list up to 25 jurisdictions.

Although the February inclusion does not mean that any penalties or sanctions will be levied against the territory, the move represents a significant setback after the VI rushed through economic substance legislation at the end of 2019 in order to meet EU requirements on tax reform.

The standards for inclusion on the EU lists have frequently changed, and Ms. Dukharan pointed out that the European Parliament itself has noted problems with the selection process.

In 2021, the legislative body proposed that the tax regimes of EU member states be scrutinised along with the rest of the world and subject to blacklisting if they don’t measure up.

“That tells you that you have a legal leg to stand on, because they, the policymakers, have acknowledged that we are not applying our own standards to our own member states, and that’s not fair,” she said. “Why is it that our countries have not come together, found a law firm that will represent us collectively, and taken them to court over this action?”

Fighting back

She added that even a statement from the Caribbean Community condemning the actions of the EU is simply “not strong enough.”

“I think if all of the countries came together from the Pacific and the Caribbean and agitated and protested, I think that there is a chance,” she said. “For example, if you appeal to the United Nations, you appeal to the World Trade Organisation, somebody is going to hear you. But when each individual little tiny micro state appeals individually, it is just white noise.”

She also recommended that countries that object to the blacklist expel EU ambassadors.

“The second thing I think we need to do is take diplomatic action,” she said.

With changing criteria, she noted, even countries that have satisfied the Financial Action Task Force and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development standards still run the risk of being blacklisted.

“But we don’t have the courage to do these things because we are small and we are insecure maybe,” she said.

Current list

In a Feb. 24 press release, the EU Council said that the grey list reflects “ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to adhere to agreed tax good governance standards.”

The countries on the grey list are working toward meeting the EU’s tax standards, the release stated.

According to the EU, criteriafor the list cover tax transparency, fair taxation and preventing tax base erosion and profit shifting. The next revision is scheduled for October.

Anguilla, Botswana, Costa Rica, Dominica, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, North Macedonia, Qatar, the Seychelles, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay were previously added and remain on the grey list.

The blacklist for “non-cooperative” tax jurisdictions, which remained unchanged after the February announcement, currently includes American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States VI, and Vanuatu.

The post Sue over blacklist, says economist first appeared on The BVI Beacon.

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Pandemonium at Republic Bank

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 15:00:01 +0000

Pandemonium at Republic Bank

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 15:00

Friday, June 17, 2022

Original Publisher

Barbados Today

Original Article

Pandemonium at Republic Bank

Republic Bank has injected BDS$85 000 in sponsorship into the National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) pan event.

The Republic Bank Pandemonium, one of the highly-anticipated events on the 2022 Crop Over calendar, will be held on July 24, at the National Botanical Gardens.

During a press launch at Republic Bank, Warrens, St Michael, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anthony Clerk, said that as a corporate member of the wider society, the bank is happy to donate the money to make the event a success.

He said Republic Bank looks forward to continuing to work with the NCF and encouraged the rest of corporate Barbados to find their niche and lend some support to the national festival as it makes a comeback after its two-year hiatus.

“Amidst unfolding events on the global stage, we all are making an effort to return to a path of healing and growth. It is reassuring to see the resurgence of cultural events such as Pandemonium. What we’ve all longed for most on the road to recovery from the pandemic, is safely celebrating Caribbean culture and the simple enjoyment of good friends and good music,” Clerk said.

The CEO reminded the audience that pan music remains a shared cultural thread between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. He said to date, Trinidad’s renowned Exodus Steel Orchestra continues to be sponsored by Republic Financial Holdings Limited, Republic Bank’s parent company.

“Our support of Pandemonium is all about ensuring pan lives on as an important legacy bequeathed to us from generations past, to capture the hearts of future generations, as well as those who visit our shores.

“As a member of the corporate community and a signatory to the principles of responsible banking we see pan as both a sound investment in the preservation of culture and investment in an artform that also offers job creation,” Clerk said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the NCF Carol Roberts applauded Republic Bank for not only the funds they have pumped into the signature pan event, but also their commitment and involvement in Crop Over throughout the years.

She said while the BDS $85 000 is welcomed and appreciated, it is the value of the bank’s commitment that is immeasurable. The sum of money boils down to “an accounting function”, she added.

“You could have so easily said ‘we have changed directions, not going to go with you this year, Grand Kadooment is not our thing’. But the fact that you looked for something in our calendar and made it yours is really worthy of acknowledgment and I thank you,” Roberts-Reifer said.

The Chief Executive Officer added: “I talked about the value of commitment deliberately for the members of the media who for you it can sometimes be so easy again to play that accounting function. To add up the numbers and decide whether sponsorship is up or down, whether there is an increase and by what percentage, how many sponsors are onboard and what events they are sponsoring.

“I urge you to look at the backstory to that, the level of commitment, the level of dedication, the value of relationships both corporate and cultural when we all come together, not for the benefit of the individual entity, not only for the benefit of the festival – all of those things are important – but for the benefit of the country where young people have a say, responsible, vibrant, empowering opportunity to learn to play pan which then brings our culture and our heritage together,” Roberts-Reifer said. (AH)

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Digitising music is the way to go

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 14:30:01 +0000

Digitising music is the way to go

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 14:30

Thursday, June 9, 2022

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Business Archives - Barbados Today

Original Article

Digitising music is the way to go

Acquiring revenue from the sale of digitised music, subscription and streaming services, is still a mystery for many Caribbean performers, song writers, producers and others involved in the music production.

However, a special project led by Barbadian entertainment consultant Derek Wilkie, and financed by the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Creative and Cultural Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF), is putting artistes from several Caribbean countries much closer to accessing these platforms and monetising their creations. According to statistics from the American music industry, subscription and streaming revenues reached US$10.07 billion in 2020, making up the vast majority of revenues for the entire music industry.

Wilkie, however, is concerned that too many regional artistes are absent for this lucrative space. As a result, he is working to ensure that Caribbean performers with existing musical work and those creating new music, are armed with the knowledge and capabilities to exploit the fullest economic gains possible from their creativity.

The accelerator, facilitated by the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation, with contributions from regional partners the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) and Compete Caribbean, catered to Caribbean performers, composers, and authors of musical works to help them transition from the physical distribution of music to the modern mode of digital distribution.

The project, which received US$40,000 in CDB funding, attracted 22 participants from Grenada, St Vincent, Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, who were exposed to insight from the some of the leading experts in the area. Of the original funding US$10,000 was offered as a grant prize to one participant to develop a marketing and business plan for a new release.

Wilkie, the lead project facilitator, explained: “A great team of internationally regarded music professionals including Ivan Berry, Devon Carty and Spencer Mussellam, the label manager of Believe Music, based in Canada was assembled. Believe Music is a huge player in the digital music industry. They are a distribution partner who receive content and then they filter it out to all of the streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and others.”

The lead facilitator is a founder member of the Barbados Copyright Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (COSCAP) and a former chair of the Caribbean Copyright Link, the body set up to facilitate the region’s performing rights organisations. “We in the region are producing a lot of work and putting it out there but we are, for the most part, doing it incorrectly. For example, people are releasing new music, uploading it to YouTube and other streaming platforms without any sort of metadata. The metadata is the DNA of the song.

“It says who is the producer, composer, the author, the publisher and it carries unique code numbers that identify the music when it is streamed globally. This allows you to get royalties coming through the system for us to get paid,” the entertainment executive disclosed. Without that data, he disclosed, the music of Caribbean artistes could be downloaded and streamed millions of times without the revenue from royalties ever paid to the rightful owners.

The CDB’s CIIF-funded project is an attempt to address this situation by training and equipping regional writers, producers, authors and publishers with practical real-world experience in the processes. Participants are from across the Caribbean from Guyana, through the Eastern Caribbean and The Bahamas in the South.

“We held a 4-day session to hear from them first, learning what they are doing and giving them the best leads and possible strategies for new releases in a digital medium.” The music executive added: “It was interesting to hear from some of them what they were doing.”

A frequent lament emerging from participants was their inability to realise revenue even when it appeared their music was gaining significant traction online. As Wilkie explained, “You can’t get royalties if no one knows that you are to be paid because you are not in the system correctly.” “A lot of time was also spent during the project on marketing and the procedures required before releasing new music and what needs to be done on a global basis to create an audience,” Wilkie pointed out.

Conceding there was still so much for Caribbean creatives to learn about operating in the digital space, he recommended more collaborations between bodies such as COSCAP, the Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers, and intellectual property rights partners around the world.

“Performing rights organisations in the region, at this point, are unable to properly monitor the vast amount and volume of music that is being streamed and released. “There are millions of songs streamed every day and somebody has to analyse it. We don’t have wherewithal to do that in the Caribbean and so we need reciprocal agreements to make sure we get paid as well.”

Despite the trepidation of some regional creatives to enter the digital music and streaming space, Wilkie assured that once undertaken correctly, streamed music can become a reliable source of income. He added: “With the digital platforms, people are still uploading back catalogues released many years ago. We are talking about millions of songs that people are trying to get in the streaming environment . . . . You have got to digitise, create the metadata, link it and upload it.”

As proof of how a well-coordinated approach to content distribution works, Wilkie referenced his working partnership with The Orchard – the world’s largest distributor of audio and video content and Believe Music (Canada).

(IMC1)

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Business

Improvements to Trinidad and Tobago’s Trade Environment Underway with CDB & EU Support

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 07:00:01 +0000

Improvements to Trinidad and Tobago’s Trade Environment Underway with CDB & EU Support

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admin Mon, 06/20/2022 - 07:00

Friday, June 10, 2022

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Business – The Bajan Reporter

Original Article

Improvements to Trinidad and Tobago’s Trade Environment Underway with CDB & EU …

The private sector in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) will see improvements in the trading environment as a result of three new trade initiatives underway at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and its agencies. The MTI has accessed assistance from the EPA and CSME Standby Facility for Capacity Building, which is managed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) with European Union (EU) funding...

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We have a sport to build

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 19:10:01 +0000

We have a sport to build

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 19:10

Friday, June 17, 2022

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Searchlight

Original Article

We have a sport to build

The recent showing of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Senior Men’s Football Team, Vincy Heat has evoked much discussion as to the state of this country’s football. And, there is nothing better to adjudicate than results.

From the team’s four matches in Group B of League C of the Concacaf Nations League played June 3, 6, 10 and 13, the Vincentians have been able to muster a single point.

A 1-1 draw versus Nicaragua on June 6 here at the Arnos Vale Playing Field was the lone occasion to shout about and muster any hope.

In between, Vincy Heat suffered a one- nil defeat to The Bahamas, along with 2-0 and 4-1 losses to Trinidad and Tobago.

Thus, St Vincent and the Grenadines is rooted to the bottom of the group, with the return home leg against Bahamas and the away fixture versus Nicaragua, both slated for next March.

Getting a positive result from the Bahamians here on home soil is the best bet, as the Vincentians will undoubtedly be looking to stave off relegation to League C.

But what the results of the Nations league matches have pointed to is the status of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football.

Evidently, many of the vagaries and deficiencies of our football were glaringly and cruelly exposed.

This is not to say that they are new; however, it pointed to the lack of growth in our football, since St Vincent and the Grenadines was able to end as runner up of their group in the inaugural Nations League in 2018/2019.

It is no gainsaying that the success of a country’s senior men’s team is the gauge of all development programmes that are rolled out by the respective Football Associations and Federations.

Indeed, this is so, hence the hue and cry, bashing and criticisms that emerged when the acid test was put to the team for the two weeks.

The state of St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football did not begin with the poor results in the Nations League, but the culmination of a series of events.

This column though had sounded a warning in a previous exposition, leading up to the first match against The Bahamas on June 3, not to expect Vincy Heat to light up the group.

The caution has come to fruition, leaving many to point fingers and ask questions of many persons involved in the sport.

Let truth be told, fixing St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football will not be an overnight phenomenon, as there is a multiplicity of debilitating issues confronting the growth and development of the sport.

Yes, football is all about results, therefore the measuring rods will come out every time there are adverse outcomes.

To begin to rectify our football, there has to be a cultural shift in the manner in which things are done in St Vincent and the Grenadines, generally.

Our laid -back ways of operation would only work to some extent, but when it comes to competitive sport, it is a different ball game.

Moreover, there has to be an overhaul of the way football is structured and administered.

But are we prepared to “suck salt”, as it were, take some poundings from others, before we can see the light at the proverbial tunnel, which at this juncture looks dark and gloomy?
Hence, it will require tough decisions, change of personnel, among other adjustments before corners are turned.

Critically though, do we really have that desire to make football the pride and joy among the sporting disciplines practised here St Vincent and the Grenadines?

If so, then persons of like mind, with a love and passion for success have to be the forerunners and change makers, otherwise we should resign ourselves to play football solely for recreational purposes.

It is equally pertinent that our desires are commensurate with a willingness to invest and have clear, unambiguous objectives for football.

We cannot have champagne tastes, but are contented to have mauby pockets.

Certainly, the Nations League matches are instructive as the detour signs have been posted; it is for the drivers to bring out their administrative compasses and steer football in a different direction.

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Vincy Heat head coach not prepared to renew contract

admin — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 18:40:01 +0000

Vincy Heat head coach not prepared to renew contract

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admin Sun, 06/19/2022 - 18:40

Friday, June 17, 2022

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Original Article

Vincy Heat head coach not prepared to renew contract

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Senior Men’s Football Team, Vincyheat may be without their current head coach, Kendall Mercury for the remaining fixtures in the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League.

Vincyheat was defeated 4-1 by Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors on Monday, June 13 at the Haseley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad in the final game of this round, after going down to the Trinidadians 2-nil at Arnos Vale last week Friday.

Mercury, who had expressed cautious optimism about his team’s chances revealed after the 4-1 defeat that he is not prepared to renew his contract when it comes up for renewal on January 2, 2023.

The Vincyheat head coach who holds a UEFA ‘A’ License, is working to acquire his Professional License, and said he is sad that the senior men’s team was not able to advance to the next group, and now has to fight to remain in League B, and avoid relegation to League C.

He is convinced that the St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) premier team coaches need to change their mindset if the national team is to improve its performance, noting that the national coach can only work with the resources he is given.

Mercury is not happy with the results of the matches played by Vincyheat to date in the 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League campaign, and expressed, “I have let down the standards that I set for myself.”

Following three losses and a drawn game, the VincyHeat head coach identified three key areas which contributed to the poor showing. The physical fitness levels of the players and the levels achieved on the BEEP test leading into the tournament is not what is required to compete successfully at both Concacaf and FIFA levels, Mercury noted. Too many of the new players complained of the physical work required of them, which the senior players kept informing them was nothing compared to what they did in 2019.

He said while this lack of required physical fitness also affected the tactical awareness of the players individually and collectively, the mental toughness of the players was the biggest hindrance.

Mercury told SEARCHLIGHT that the players’ mental toughness was affected by their social life and many issues outside the field of play, including delayed issuing of contracts which also impacted that critical component of a footballer’s overall fitness.

Speaking immediately after the game in Trinidad, Mercury said, as was the case in previous games, too many soft and sloppy goals were conceded too early. He said it is painful when compared to the 2019 results, but it is something he will have to live with.

“I was not satisfied with the physical preparation of the team,”Mercury said.

At the post-match press briefing last week Friday following Vincyheat’s 2-nil home defeat to Trinidad and Tobago, Mercury had this to say: “Since we started back with the two friendlies in Dominica, our first match in The Bahamas on match day two, here against Nicaragua, we gave up soft goals,” and noted that, “the Trinidadians did not create either of those two goals.”

He added, “not just today” is St. Vincent and the Grenadines leaking “soft goals”.

“For me it is a Vincentian thing where finishing is concerned, and finishing affects the goalkeeping. I said it before. We play more mini-goals, small-goals soccer, so where are the strikers going to come from? If we keep playing small-goals soccer around the community, there is no goalkeeper between the small goals,” he pointed out.

“…I have to keep working on the training ground to try to rectify the issue of finishing.”

Whether Vincy Heat has a window to improve its performance in the remaining games of the 2022/23 campaign is up to the bosses at the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, Mercury said for “…sometimes people need to have a rude awakening for them to learn.”

Caribbean

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We have a sport to build

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 14:30:01 +0000

We have a sport to build

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admin Sat, 06/18/2022 - 14:30