00:00Nearly three weeks after questions were sent to TTFA's President Kyron Edwards regarding the reconciliation of payments made to the
00:07TTFA through government and state enterprise subventions, as well as corporate sponsorships, he has responded, defending the TTFA's stance while
00:15citing his inability to comment in detail due to what he claimed was confidentiality arrangements.
00:21Edwards said that the TTFA was not in a position to release financial data to the media concerning subventions received
00:28from Sport TT until certain accountability processes had been completed. However, TV6 was able to obtain documents related to payments
00:36made to the TTFA by Sport TT.
00:38Edwards said the TTFA confirms that subventions were received from Sport TT in January 2025 and from the Ministry of
00:45Sport in October 2025 in amongst consistent with your inquiry.
00:50Both tranches of funding were applied exclusively toward the operational, technical and administrative requirements of the senior men's national football
00:58team's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in accordance with the terms under which the funds were dispersed.
01:04He continued, the TTFA maintains appropriate financial records in respect of all government funding received and these records are subject
01:12to the audit and reporting mechanisms agreed upon with Sport TT.
01:17Edwards said detailed expenditure breakdowns formed part of the TTFA's formal obligations to Sport TT and the Ministry of Sport
01:24and were being addressed through legally prescribed channels.
01:27He added, the association does not consider appropriate and it would constitute a circumvention of established accountability processes for itemized
01:36financial data to be released through the media prior to the conclusion of those formal processes.
01:42Any characterization of the association's conduct as irregular or improper on the basis of the non-disclosure of information appropriately
01:49reserved for those formal mechanisms would be materially misleading and without foundation.
01:56Edwards also addressed the TTFA's failure to provide documentation to Sport TT regarding the $6.79 million allocated for the
02:042026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
02:07More than 10 months after the request, Sport TT has still not received a full accounting of how those funds
02:13were spent.
02:14Edwards said, the TTFA takes its reporting obligations to Sport TT with the utmost seriousness and is actively engaged in
02:22fulfilling those requirements.
02:23The preparation and submission of comprehensive expenditure documentation required detailed financial verification, a process the TTFA has committed to completing
02:33in a timely and accurate manner.
02:36The TTFA is in active ongoing communication with Sport TT in this regard.
02:40Any suggestion that the TTFA has failed or refused to meet its reporting obligations, absent the conclusion of that formal
02:48process, would be premature and potentially defamatory.
02:51Close quote.
02:53Addressing sponsorship from the National Gas Company, Edwards said he could not provide details of the $3 million agreement because
03:00of confidentiality provisions.
03:02Edwards said the association engaged with the NGC in good faith regarding the terms of that sponsorship agreement, including accountability
03:10and reporting obligations.
03:11He said the specific details of the commercial and reporting arrangements between the TTFA and NGC are confidential between the
03:19parties, having been negotiated and agreed upon on that basis.
03:24NGC had written the TTFA last year asking for a breakdown of two tranches of money that had been sent
03:29in April 2025, estimated at approximately $1.5 million to TTFA to get an idea of how that money had
03:37been spent.
03:37However, even after a string of emails, TTFA never gave a breakdown as to how that money had been spent
03:44despite assurances.
03:46NGC said in light of this, they would no longer be releasing any further funds unless that obligation was met.
03:53Edwards also responded to questions regarding outstanding debts owed to several creditors.
03:58Edwards said that the TTFA acknowledges that in common with many national sporting bodies operating under constrained financial conditions,
04:06the association has faced financial obligations that have at times been challenging to discharge in full and within the timelines
04:14desired by service providers.
04:16Edwards said,
04:39Mark Basant, TV6 News.
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