Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, July 7, 2023 – Football Mega Star Club, Real Madrid is coming back to the Turks and Caicos and the goal in this visit is to train, specifically our boys in the sport which they dominate as world’s best.

Representatives from the Premier League team will arrive in the country for a three-day camp open to boys aged 7 to 14 years old, giving them an opportunity to be guided by some of the best in the sport of football.

The camp is as a result of an initiative by Desarrollos Hotelco, owners of the Ritz Carlton Turks and Caicos and a new development property on Dellis Cay.  They say the camp will provide an unparalleled experience.

Included in the Real Madrid delegation will be José María Gutiérrez Hernández “Guti”.

Guti is a Spanish former professional footballer and former vice captain of Real Madrid who represented the club in 542 official games through three Champions League titles and five La Liga championships.

Perpetually wearing his number 14, he’s described as the “headband wearing, killer assists king,” and is known for his extraordinary passes. Some football pundits describe him as a galactico (superstar) who came long before the era of Lionel Messi and Luka Modrić.

The TCI Football Association says a select group of players from  the U10 and U14 divisions from all TCIFA island-programs have been given a chance to participate in this one of a kind, exclusive experience.

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, April 13, 2023 – Getting into one of the Ivy League schools for many almost seems like a dream, but Cory Williams, a young Turks and Caicos football player was able to make it a reality when he got accepted to not just one but five Ivy League schools.

On Friday, March 30th, the eighteen-year-old received acceptance letters from five of the most prestigious universities in the United States: Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown  University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania (UPENN).  The current acceptance rates for Ivy League schools range from 3.9% to 8.7%, and Williams was one of the lucky few.

Copies of the acceptance letters were shared with Magnetic Media, and it read like a dreamy novel, but it is reality for this young standout who actually attended high school abroad, the Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut.

In addition, Cory Williams also got the nod of approval from the University of  Miami, Emory University, the University of Michigan, the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University.

This outstanding achievement did not come by luck for young Williams, as he has been preparing for this moment all his life.  According to information shared by his mother, who is beaming with excitement for her son, Cory “has always been very disciplined, focused and hard-working.”  This has been reflected in his educational journey as he is  “a straight ‘A’ student with a passion for learning and helping others.” 

The young footballer, who is part of the TCI Men’s National Football team is fluent in Mandarin – he reads it, writes it and speaks it – and enjoys mentoring young readers, helping them to improve their reading skills.  Cory also enjoys mentoring and he works with the TCIFA Grassroots Program every summer to coach youngsters in Providenciales in the art of football aka soccer.

In fact, Cory has been a member of the TCIFA since the age of 13, playing for the boys under 15 and 17 teams and is now elevated to the men’s squad.

His mother informs however, that despite his excellence on the field, it was his diligence in his studies which attracted these fabulous offers from university’s elite.

Williams is the son of Grand Turk Islander Sabrina Moyce-Williams and Dr. Cory Williams and intends to pursue studies in Economics and Finance with minors in African Studies and Computer Science.

As for which Ivy League university he will be attending, that is a decision Cory plans to make in a week or so, but we can tell that whatever his decision will be, he will excel in his endeavours.

Magnetic Media congratulates Cory Williams on this outstanding achievement; we celebrate with him and his family.

“All the best on your new journey Mr. Williams.”

Global Capital continues to be the brand sponsor for the league. Rochelle Brown, the CEO, stated that “As a good corporate citizen, we aim to not solely be relevant and responsive to the needs of the communities in which we live but to also invest in empowering people with the proficiencies required to improve their health, safety, and well-being.  By sponsoring athletics, arts, music, education, and more, we are supporting the goals of our customers and employees.”

Last year’s results concluded with Realest FC crowned as the 2020/21 Champions, and Cheshire Hall FC coming in a close second.  We also witnessed the SWA Sharks FC and the Teachers FC battling out in a captivating match in contention for the third-place position.  Both sides gave it their all in the match; the SWA Sharks FC claimed the win and the third-place spot.

Phillip Shearer (Realest FC), was awarded the Golden Boot award, whilst his teammate and goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence walked away not only with the Golden Glove award but also with the league MVP award.

It has to be highlighted that Global Capital plays a very vital role in the Master’s League.  As the brand sponsor for the 2022 Global Capital Master’s League, they have put forward $5,000 towards to the work being done in the sport. Victor Lowe, founder and president of Global Capital Ltd. commented, “Our sponsorship is not only because of our corporate responsibility, but it also embodies the very backdrop of what this company was founded on, ‘Helping people to help themselves.’ ”  In addition to this, he added, “As Brand Sponsor we wish to thank Madam Sonia Fulford-Missick, President of the TCIAA and Executive Committee Member of FIFA, Mr. Oliver Smith, General Secretary, The TCIFA, and all of the hard-working members of staff for the great work they are doing. To the players, we wish them much success, as their efforts do not go unnoticed”.

It will be enthralling to see which team emerges on top of the standings this season. Will Realest FC reclaim its title? Or will an alternate team take their crown, well based on the opening matches of the 2022 season, it must be said that Realest FC seems to be coming back just as hard this year.  In their first match, Realest FC faced off against Teachers FC and won 9-0.  This score line speaks volumes for what we can expect to see from Realest FC this season. In the second opening match, Police FC came out on top against Beaches FC with a 3-1 victory.

The Global Capital Master’s League serves as an opportunity for players 35 and older in the Turks and Caicos to come together and play competitive football.  This year welcomed the addition of females to the league, which in previous saw only male participation. As the season progresses it will be riveting to see which teams emerge with a win or a loss.

Written by: Joshua Hall, Intern

For more information, please contact TCIFA Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Candia Ewing at 941-5532 or cewingtcifa@gmail.com

Address:

TCIFA National Academy

Venetian Road

Providenciales

Turks and Caicos Islands

#GOAM envisions a community engaged in positive change, transformed by service. The programme’s vision is to promote caring and inclusive communities that respect, empower, and value all people to lead better quality lives. #GOAM aims to engage in analyzing and addressing community concerns, explore ways of building strong relationships at various levels of society, and expand footprint with increased support that reaches the length and breadth of the “Beautiful by Nature” Turks and Caicos Islands.

To commemorate the launch of #GOAM, a girls and women’s empowerment workshop was hosted at the TCIFA National Academy on Friday, July 23^rd. An overwhelming show of support was indicated by the number of participants who were just as eager and excited to get the ball rolling. The workshop was facilitated by Coach Gillian Vernice, entailing a number of development activities and games, acknowledgements by #GOAM Project Organizer Olivia Graveley, and a salute by TCIFA president, Sonia Fulford. It was an interactive and dynamic session, providing an open and neutral environment for participants to share.

 “It is crucial for us to foster the development of leadership skills in young girls and women as we aim to expand their social circles, enhance their social awareness, and equip them with a platform that allows them to feel like valued contributors to society. We are so excited to be able to provide a forum for them to share their experiences and ideas, and I am certainly moved by each and everyone’s enthusiasm and willingness to take on their roles,” said Sonia.

On Saturday July 24^th, #GOAM initiated its first service project, a cleanup campaign called ‘Pick Up For Progress’ (#PUFP), targeting the Lower Bight Road, Venetian Road, Blue Hills Front Road, and Millennium highway. #PUFP will consist of a series of cleanups moving throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Olivia commented, “It doesn’t end here. Whilst we are building advocacy to develop strong, compassionate female leaders, we are also finding ways to protect and restore our communities for ourselves, and future generations. #PUFP is just one of the many ways for us to do our part for the country we love. I applaud the work of our participants, not just for speaking up, but for also standing up and taking action.”

#GOAM will run year-round, with a succession of workshops and a variation of service projects.

TCIFA and #GOAM thanks its partners, Graceway IGA Gourmet, Provence By Eric, Elite Brokerage and the Ianthe Pratt Primary School.

Press Release: TCIFA

Concacaf is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, one of FIFA’s six continental confederations, servicing 41 Member Associations from Canada in the north, to Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana in the south; and including the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Sonia was first welcomed into the Concacaf Council on November 2013, in a co-opted position, then became the first female to be elected to the Council at its 30^th Ordinary Congress on April 2015. Later on, in 2015, she was awarded the opportunity by appointment of the Concacaf Council, voting rights (that was not initially designated for a female) within the highest ranks of football governing- the FIFA Council, where she served in a co-opted position since May 2013.

Sonia’s journey as FIFA Council member met her with a challenge for the position at the 31^st Concacaf Congress in May 2016. She was elected first Female Member representative on the FIFA Council with a resounding 27-8 victory against her contender, Joanne Salazar of Trinidad and Tobago.

Here marks another milestone, as Sonia continues to gain ground in the generally male dominated sport with grace and conviction, and press forward in serving a second full term on the FIFA Council. Sonia emphasizes through her accomplishments that gender is not a limiting factor. She maintains a personal goal of reaching her own potential and influencing other girls and women through dedication and service. “It is an exciting and very rewarding feeling to, yet again, receive an overwhelming vote of confidence to continue to serve all those in football, not only to be a voice and advocate for gender equality, but for further development of football in general. I would like to thank the members for their trust in me to continue the work that I have already started and also to embark on new opportunities for growth and development of the sport within Concacaf and the wider world,” said Sonia.

Smith is seen snatching a TCIFA soccer ball from one of the visiting Haitian players; faintly you can hear accusations being made, explanations being given and there was some jostling among the Haitian players.  It was clearly an antagonistic situation. 

It is a messy moment for the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association; after having lost to Haiti, dismally, on Saturday in a CONCACAF World Cup Qualfying match, 10-0,  this heated confrontation was captured on cell phone camera and circulated.

The report to our newsroom was that the video had gone viral and upset the international football community, not least of which FIFA; the overarching body for Football. 

Oliver Smith, TCIFA General Secretary said the situation mushroomed when players from the Haitian team did not return footballs belonging to the TCIFA.  Smith also said his response was not in keeping with established protocols and admits it was unbecoming of a representative of TCIFA.  For that, he said, “I apologize to all affected parties.” 

The statement said the confrontation is reminder of the value of unity and everyone’s role in safeguarding the sanctity of the game.  Olive Smith penned he is “now painfully reminded of that” … again expressing apology.  This apology has also gone viral.

Smith was on June 9 suspended from activity at the TCIFA.