Article Image Alt Text

FROM LEFT: Ambassador of Argentina to Barbados, Gustavo Martinez Pandiani; President of the BFA and CFU, Randy Harris; and the President of the Argentine Football Association, Claudio Tapia.

‘Caribbean football entering the big leagues’

February 14th, 2019, will be remembered as a milestone in Caribbean football history.

As a continuation of the intense collaboration in the field of sports between Argentina and Barbados, triggered by the Sports Cooperation Agreement formalised last September, the heads of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the Barbados Football Association (BFA), and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) signed a set of key
bilateral and regional Memorandums of Understanding.

In a formal ceremony held at the Astroturf premises, the hosts of the event, Ambassador of Argentina to Barbados, Gustavo Martinez Pandiani, and the President of the BFA and CFU, Randy Harris, shared their enthusiasm with a group of high-rank representatives from the football associations of Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago and CONCACAF, among others, who travelled to Bridgetown especially for the occasion.

The agreements will foster the exchange of players, coaches, and experts in Sports and Science Applied to Football, allowing Barbados to take advantage of the invaluable experience of Argentina. The two-time World Cup winner will also provide assistance to the greater Caribbean to advance its quest to continue professionalizing football in the region.

The areas of cooperation include:
• Football facilities and equipment;
• Programmes organisation;
• Training and football management;
• Sports medicine and anti-doping policies;
• Scholarships in football law and sports marketing programmes;

The visit of the Argentine football authorities to Barbados, a joint effort by the Embassy of Argentina and the BFA, is a continuation of last December’s initiative, when the Barbados U-17 National team travelled to Buenos Aires for an in-depth training and educational programme at Boca Juniors Campus. During that trip, the Barbadian youngsters faced their Argentine peers on the same field where Lio Messi trains while leading his national team. Harris initiated this institutional relationship upon his visit to the AFA headquarters to meet with President Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia at the end of last year.

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000