DFA gets donation

Dominica’s football ambassador to Canada Trevor Bertrand has facilitated a donation of kit gear and other items to the women’s program of the Dominica Football Association (DFA).

Bertrand, who is also President of the North Mississauga Soccer Club in Canada and who is formerly from Goodwill, partnered with the Canadian arm of Italian sport clothing company ONZE to provide two full sets of kit. Bertrand has been in the habit of assisting in like manner and stated that this donation is one of many still to come.

“On my recent visits I’ve tried to ship barrels ahead of my arriving and I’ve distributed in the past to the various academies hoping that [the kit] will do something and at least give the kids an opportunity.  ONZE is willing to sponsor the girls’ program and this donation will be the first of many. They’ve promised training suits, bags and other gear and will seek to do this every second year,” Bertrand said.

He has two daughters who play the game, one of whom currently plays for the U-17 team and the other playing for the University of Oklahoma who he reports is eager to compete for Dominica.

President of the DFA Patrick John expressed profound gratitude for the donated items and said that the kit will go towards.

John said, “I must thank [Bertrand] for this donation and others that he has made in the past. We’re looking forward to strengthening our relationship with him and giving him the necessary support so that he could work and assist us not only in uniforms, but technical assistance.”

Bertrand has indicated intent to find Dominican girls living in North America who can be eligible to play for Dominica at the various levels.  He believes that the resource is vast and like other Caribbean countries and teams, Dominica should be looking tap into that resource and reap the benefits from the involvement of overseas players.

In related news, John announced that the intent of the DFA is to keep the U-17 girls team together as they progress though the different age categories.

“This is going to be the team that we are going to develop to be our national team. We will mix some of the U-20 girls with the U-17 girls and that team will play as a team in our women’s league, [sponsored by the DFA]. We will keep them together for the next two or three years so that that U-17 team will be playing our next U-19, U-20, U-23 and eventually our national team. We have done the same thing with the boys U-17 team and they have done very well,” he said.

The U-17 girls are expected clash with St Kitts at the Windsor Park Stadium on Sunday September 25.