THE Fruta Conquerors’ courtesy call on Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at his office in Wight’s Lane on Wednesday afternoon provided them with encouraging words of assistance as he promised to engage the heads of the relevant entities to seek whatever assistance they could provide. The Prime Minister hosted members of the Fruta Conquerors FC that included president Marlan Cole, secretary Lavern Fraser-Thomas, treasurer Candia Shepherd and Club captain Eon Alleyne.
Cole requested the PM to use his good office to support the application made by a College in the USA for Alleyne to participate in a training camp with the chance of securing a scholarship if he impresses.
The PM promised to look into the request.
The members were following up on an invitation that was extended to them when the PM attended the opening ceremony of the recently concluded NaMilCo Football Festival that was organised by the club and played, at the Tucville ground last month.
Cole, who spearheaded the team, also outlined the current needs of the club which included the erection of a main pavilion at an estimated cost of $10 million.
The help he requested in this instance was that the possibility of the exemption of VAT based on the fact that the event is held to procure financial resources to continue the facility’s improvement, to solicit assistance in getting ten 60ft poles to improve the lighting at the facility.
He also needed assistance for the construction of a concrete surface to accommodate other activities such as netball and basketball on the western section of the ground.
During the engagement, Cole did admit that the facility had benefited from the President’s Youth Choice Initiative around 2000 and it was due to that assistance that the ground was able to move from a relative pasture to one of the more developed facilities for hosting football in Georgetown.
According to Cole, the Government had done the entire perimeter fencing at that time, but with football activity on the increase, the time has come for them to provide stands for the fans and a more improved pavilion for the players and special invitees.
“Every year we host the Festival, we always take the proceeds and add something new to the club and that is why we have one of the better facilities in the city,” Cole told the PM.