It is official. The Soca Warriors will arrive home at 7.30 pm today from Germany and will be honoured with a motorcade and gala celebration on Saturday, the Prime Minister?s Whitehall office announced yesterday.
By Gail AlexanderThe arrangements followed discussions with Warriors? manager Bruce Aanansen yesterday.
The Warriors will be welcomed after touchdown this evening by Prime Minister Patrick Manning and government officials at a reception at Piarco International airport.
Details of the programme to honour the Warriors were being worked out at Whitehall yesterday by a government team headed by Culture Minister and acting Sports Minister Joan Yuille-Williams.
Yesterday, Whitehall spokesman Roy Rique said the Government would stage a cultural presentation from 5 pm today at Piarco airport before the team?s arrival.
After the Warriors? arrival, the players will go to the atrium area of Piarco Airport where they will be presented to the public.
PM Manning and other officials will address the team and members of the public.From the airport, the team will be whisked to the Crowne Plaza hotel.
The Government said the team had requested that there be no motorcade today. They will have a free day to rest up tomorrow.
On Saturday, the Government will mount a major celebration in their honour, beginning with a motorcade?complete with confetti shower?down Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook.
The avenue will be heavily decorated for the occasion.
The motorcade will take the players to the National Stadium where a gala programme will be held from 3.30 pm.
PM Manning, addressing that audience, will announce Government?s plans to reward the team.
Further details of the plans will be released at this afternoon?s post-Cabinet media briefing, Rique said
After the Warriors? defeat by Paraguay on Tuesday, FIFA vice-president Jack Warner said the Warriors were scheduled to leave Germany today, like all teams which did not qualify for the World Cup?s second round.
Aanansen said yesterday that the team would leave their Rotenburg training base this morning by bus to go to Frankfurt.
There, the team and members of the Soca Caravan cultural contingent which performed in Germany will all board a BWIA aircraft for the flight home. The only team member who will not be coming to T&T is Chris Birchall who will be heading back to England.
The flight is due to depart Frankfurt at 4.25 pm today.
Given the six-hour time difference, the team is expected to arrive at Piarco Airport this evening by 7.30 pm.
?Although their bus to the hotel will be a closed vehicle they?ll be able to wave to folks,? Aanansen said.
?But it?s been a long haul for them, being in Germany for six weeks and they may want to get some rest after landing...We hope the public can respect the players? privacy after the airport segment.?
He said the Warriors were returning in good spirits.
?Brent Sancho is fine. He doesn?t understand why the ball hitting his head and going into the goal is a big thing. It happens all the time in football. That?s the game,? he said.
?We?re flying back with the cultural contingent so it?ll be a big party and we?ll be singing ?Soca Warrior? all the way.?
