‘The tournament is still on’

Coach Kurt Hector

Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines…Friday April 19, 2013 – “The tournament is still on” This is the reaction to a query posed to an official of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation this morning Friday April 19, 2013.

This came following news of the shocking news that Dominica National Football team coach Kurt Hector and Norran Jno Hope were dead following a vehicular accident.

At about 5:30 a.m., Hector along with two other players Joslen Prince and Norran Jno Hope were travelling in a Suzuki Escudo jeep to join the other team members. The team was en route to the Melville Hall Airport for participation in the revived Windward Islands Football Tournament scheduled to be held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sunday April 21 – 25, 2013.

While en-route, the jeep with its three occupants plunged into a 40-foot opening on the Pond Case Road, with only fire officer Joslen Prince able to make his way out of the vehicle.

Norran Jno Hope

He was alerted other vehicles of the major opening on the road, and he is currently at the Princess Margaret Hospital receiving treatment on his injuries the extent of which is not clear except that he had to undergo surgery.

However, Kurt Hector and Norran Jno Hope were not able to make it out of the vehicle, and emergency crews along with officers of the Special Services Unit (SSU) of the Dominica Police Force, responded to the incident, and were able to remove the vehicle from the opening.

Hector and Jno Hope who were still in the vehicle were transported to the Princess Margaret Hospital, and were confirmed dead by medical officials. The team has announced that it will no longer participate in the tournament.

Gerald George, spokesperson for the Dominica Football Association (DFA) said that the team will no longer participate in the competition.

The mangled vehicle

Meanwhile the presidents of the four Windward Island football federations currently attending the CFU and CONCACAF Congress in Panama, convened an emergency meeting and decided upon the status of the windward Island Cup 2013.

According to a statement from the Trevor Huggins General Secretary of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, as it relates to the Windward Islands Cup, 2013 SVG.

Windward Island Football Federation has decided the tournament will proceed as plan with the absence of Dominica Football Team.

All officials and all participating teams will wear a black arm band, and will observe a minute of silence before the commencement of every game during the tournament.

Vehicle in huge crack

The prayers of the Executive, the membership of the Windward Island Football Federation and the Footballing Caribbean public goes out to the Dominica Football Federation and the Dominica Footballing Public.

Because of Dominica now forced to withdraw from the tournament, the schedule of matches has been revised and the new fixtures are as follows with each game now commencing 7:00 p.m. on game nights.

Sunday April 21st 2013-: St. Vincent versus St. Lucia

Tuesday April 23rd 2013-: Grenada versus St. Lucia

Thursday April 25th 2013-: St. Vincent versus Grenada

(Story by Robertson S. Henry / photos courtesy dominicanewsonline.com)