NEW YORK – Former Trinidad and Tobago international footballer Shaka Hislop has thrown his support behind a proposed Caribbean Professional League.
President of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), Jeffrey Webb, told delegates at a sports summit this week in the Cayman Islands that the Caribbean should consider a sustainable professional league.
“One of the conversations that must begin – and we hope it begins with this sports summit – is professional football in the Caribbean,” said Webb. “Our territories still lack a meaningful established professional league for the players to aspire.”
Hislop, who played professional football in England, said such a league could assist in harnessing the talents in the region, as well as providing a platform for young footballers to be exposed.
“The higher the level of the regional game the more scouts will pay attention to the players the league produces. The Caribbean national teams will also hugely benefit from the increased standard and greater demands on the players,” Hislop told GrenadaSports.
The Trinidadian Hall of Famer said that the success of cricket’s Caribbean Premier League is indicative that professional sports in the Caribbean are sustainable. (CMC)
