TRNC football crisis averted
A CRISIS in TRNC football has been averted after the government backed down on a decision to allocate four million TL to the country’s football clubs — one million TL less than was said to have been pledged by former prime minister Hüseyin Özgürgün.
Sports Department head Alkan Değirmencioğlu confirmed to Cyprus Today on Thursday that Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman had given instructions, after a meeting between the coalition and officials of the Cyprus Turkish Football Association (KTFF), that the payment be increased to five million TL.
A furore erupted earlier when KTFF chairman Hasan Sertoğlu revealed that he had been told of this year’s lower government contribution by newly appointed Mr Değirmencioğlu.
Mr Sertoğlu told reporters: “On behalf of his government, Mr Özgürgün last year gathered all our football clubs together and pledged that the contribution was to be five million TL.
“Now . . . Mr Değirmencioğlu has said the new government did not find it appropriate to make a five million TL contribution to the clubs via the federation and had decided to give us four million instead.
“The federation and its members have been fighting for youngsters in the country to have sporting activities, despite all the financial challenges. We offer sporting activities to young people that keep them away from harmful things such as drug addiction, and the government makes a financial contribution to our efforts. Following the usual procedure, our clubs were informed of the amount of the contribution a year ago and made their financial arrangements accordingly.”
Mr Sertoğlu, who said he would refer the issue to the Football Clubs Union, added: “We are in the second stage of the 20172018 football season and I, authorised by the association’s board, have applied for personal loans to cover expenses for referees, health requirements . . . and observers for games, since our clubs cannot pay. All these expenses have been covered with the money I personally borrowed. Yet while we are doing our bit not to let thousands of youngsters down, the people governing the country are not doing what they are supposed to do.”
Mr Sertoğlu added that he had told the union he would no longer take out personal loans to cover clubs’ expenses, and would also raise the issue with the KTFF board.