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Turks and Caicos Islands set to compete in CONCACAF U-17 Men’s Qualifiers

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August 20, 2022 – The Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA), is set to compete in the CONCACAF U-17 Men’s Qualifiers in Nicaragua. CONCACAF announced the U-17 Qualifiers draw just over a month ago. This year’s squad was placed into Group D along with Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda, and Belize. These groups were drawn up based on the CONCACAF rankings. The actual round-robin qualifying group stage, however, is not scheduled to occur until August 30th through to September 8th.

At the end of these qualifiers, the four groups’ winners will advance into the 2023 CONCACAF Men’s U-17 Championship, where they will face off against the other top 16 ranked teams that have been seeded directly into the group stage.

The Turks and Caicos team will be led by Coach Samuel Okpodu, former Maryland Bobcats FC Coach. He was invited to the Turks and Caicos with the sole purpose of coaching the U-17 men for these qualifiers. Before his time at the Bobcats, Coach Okpodu served as manager for the Newberry Indians, the Warri Wolves, and in addition to that he served for a colossal 15 years as the Nigeria National Women’s Team Coach. However, these titles do not even begin to hold a candle to the other achievements that he has attained throughout the duration of his coaching career. In 2002, he led the Super Falcons to their third African Women’s Championship and just one year later he led the same team in the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup staged in the USA. Without a shadow of a doubt, it can be said that Coach Okpodu is not new to the world of football coaching. His determination and dedication have been displayed time and time again over the years, he brings a whole new level of football IQ to the table for the team.

Coach Okpodu says he has felt a ‘warm welcome’ from the other coaching staff and members of the TCIFA. When asked for an honest opinion on how things are currently going with the team, he had the following to say, “Preparation and training are going well, the federation, myself, and the players are all expectant for a show to be put on in Nicaragua”.

This statement gives us an insight into the sheer confidence and preparedness this team is conveying.

Dane Ritchie, Technical Director for the TCIFA stated, “As the players prepare for this upcoming tournament, there has been a positive change in attitude towards training. Coming out of the three practice games played against Anguilla, the players are motivated to continue the preparations for these World Cup Qualifying games. Having won all three of those games, the players are more confident in themselves and this is a positive result to build on.” He added, “The World Cup Qualifying games will no doubt be challenging for us but the players and coaching staff are preparing as best as they can to do their best in the tournament.”

All matches for Turks and Caicos will take place in Nicaragua. Their first match is timetabled for August 31st against Nicaragua and their last game on September 6th, where they will meet up against Belize.

Despite going into these qualifiers as the statistical underdogs, it is certain that the team is planning to muster up something special in Nicaragua, based on the words of Coach Okpodu and the rest of the coaching staff, we can anticipate some very remarkable games.

Match schedule for the Turks and Caicos Islands:

August 31: Nicaragua vs. Turks and Caicos Islands

September: 2 Turks and Caicos vs. Antigua and Barbuda

September 4: Belize vs. Turks and Caicos

 

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

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DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM REGULATIONS INTRODUCES “RATE YOUR RIDE” SYSTEM FOR TOURISTS VISITING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March, 2024 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Department of Tourism Regulations is proud to unveil the “Rate Your Ride” system, a new initiative designed to enhance the vacation experience for tourists exploring our picturesque islands.

The “Rate Your Ride” system empowers tourists to provide valuable feedback on the quality of transportation services they receive while visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands. Through an easy-to-use online form, tourists can rate factors such as cleanliness, comfort, safety, and professionalism of drivers, helping us to assure the highest quality of service standards across all modes of transportation.

By participating in the “Rate Your Ride” system, tourists play a crucial role in shaping the future of transportation services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Their feedback will enable us to identify areas for improvement and ensure that every visitor enjoys safe, comfortable, and convenient travel throughout their stay in the Turks and Caicos.

The code will also be publicly accessible through the cooperation of volunteer drivers who will make the rating code available in their vehicles. Flyers and stickers displaying the code will be distributed at hotels, resorts and airports. The mandated display of these codes is expected to align with the rollout of our tourism regulations in 2025.

For more information about the “Rate Your Ride” system and other initiatives by the Department of Tourism Regulations, please visit gov.tc/tourismregulations/or contact us via telephone at 946-4970 and email at tourismregulations@gov.tc.

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THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH SERVICES CONDEMNS RECORDING OF PERSONS WHO ARE IN CRISIS

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FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

 

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 27th March 2024– The Department of Behavioral Health Services is appealing to the general public to refrain from recording and circulating videos of persons who may appear to be experiencing a mental health crisis. Anyone can experience a mental health crisis at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Persons may struggle with very common conditions such as Anxiety and Depression or be diagnosed with more serious conditions like Bipolar Disorder or Psychosis.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about various mental health conditions and how they may manifest. In addition, there are a number of negative perceptions and misconceptions that society exhibits towards people with mental health problems. However, just as we would show care and concern for someone diagnosed with Cancer, or any other physical illness, in the same way, we need to be as caring and helpful to persons with mental illnesses”– stated Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Services, Dr. Alicia Malcolm.

The Department is urging the public to call the following numbers if you see someone who appears to be experiencing a mental health crisis:

338-5473/338-3616: Providenciales, North or Middle Caicos

338-3614/338-3612: Grand Turk, South Caicos, Salt Cay

338-6301: Nights and Weekends

If someone is putting themselves or someone else in immediate, serious risk of harm, call 911.

The Department of Behavioral Health services is here to help and provides the following services which are free and confidential:

Location of above services:

o             Sam Harvey Building, Down Town, Providenciales,

o             Primary Health Care Department, Cheshire Hall Medical Center, Providenciales 

o             Department of Behavioural Health, Duncombe Alley, Grand Turk

 

Let’s all do our part in creating a community where people with mental health problems feel respected, supported and cared for. 

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page on https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/ or the Department of Behavioral Health Services Faceebook on https://www.facebook.com/TCIDBHS/.

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Breaking Ground: TCI Could Lead in Regional Communication Standards

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Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom, 27th March 2024: The PR, marketing, and communications sector is poised for potential growth and could lead the Caribbean region in terms of industry standards says Damian Wilson. Wilson’s suggestion comes after the release of a new research report into the current trends and future direction of the sector as a possible emerging industry in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

Wilson is the report’s author, which conveys the findings of research which he initiated. “One of the key research results is the considerable optimism by industry practitioners and government alike, with persons seeing growth potential. I believe that we can become regional leaders in this field. I believe that one of the initiatives that could be used to do this is by establishing a ‘TCI Centre of Communications Excellence’ within the TCI Community College. Such an institute would be dedicated to communication and media innovation with a particular focus on digital communications and ICT,” says Wilson.

He further explained, “I believe that the PR, marketing, and communications sector, like much of the country, is at a crossroads and could have an even greater impact on our socio-economic fabric. Some may have concerns about our small size, but I believe this makes us far more agile than our neighbours. All in all, any potential growth must be underpinned by new investments, professional development, and a strategy to integrate the sector into the broader economy.”

Wilson also said that he sees his research as a first step in understanding our own industry sectors in the TCI and would love to see more profound research and analysis conducted. He’s hoping that the report will spark discussion along those lines. The report is entitled ‘Current Trends and Future Direction: A Preliminary Report on the PR, Marketing, and Communications Sector in the Turks & Caicos Islands’. Anyone wanting a copy of the report can contact Damian Wilson via his email, damian.wilson.pr@gmail.com.

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