Sports
Jelani Beckles
FORMER national footballer David Nakhid, in an effort to save the beloved nickname Soca Warriors, has called a meeting between the TT Football Association (TTFA) and ex-broadcaster Selwyn Melville. He wants the nickname to stay alive to keep a legacy intact.
“It means everything to everybody in TT. It is a name that we have grown accustomed to. It is part of our brand,” Nakhid said about Soca Warriors, the sobriquet for the national men’s senior football team for more than 20 years.
Nakhid, the parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, spoke to reporters at the opening of the new TT Olympic Committee house in Belmont on July 14.
Melville and the TTFA have been in an ongoing battle over the ownership of the name Soca Warriors. Melville, who claims to have coined the phrase since the late 1990s, received the trademark certificate for the term Soca Warriors in 2022.
In recent months, the TTFA has stopped using the sobriquet in their media releases and during events hosted by the local football body to avoid any legal battles.
On July 9, in a statement on multiple social media pages, the TTFA called on the public to help the association decide on a new name that will “shape the future of our national men’s football team.
“We’re on the hunt for a name that truly reflects the spirit, pride, culture and strength of our people. A name that carries the energy of TT wherever we play. What do you think our team should be called?”
Fans may not connect to a new name, Nakhid said. “When you have a brand name that is recognised internationally, you don’t just move that and start from scratch. You are erasing a legacy that a country has left. We went into the 2006 World Cup with that name and we have experienced enormous success with that name.”
The nickname Soca Warriors took off during the team’s 2006 Fifa World Cup campaign because of Maximus Dan’s song Fighter, known as the anthem of the Soca Warriors.
The song had fans singing word for word and commentators to this day, still refer to the team as the Soca Warriors.
A new nickname, according to the TTFA, will allow the local body to earn revenue from merchandise, as they will have ownership of the name.
The nickname is not just about sport, Nakhid said, but it reminds the world of the genre of music that started in TT. “It is not only for sport, it is about culture – Soca Warriors. I don’t think it is in the interest of anybody, whether it be TTFA or Selwyn Melville, to not reach a resolution.”
The former midfielder wants the name to live on and has arranged a meeting. “I have spoken to the two parties and have arranged a meeting for them in my office on Thursday (July 17) and we have to bring it to a resolution. Both sides have to compromise. We have to be in this World Cup come next year.”
Nakhid said the TTFA and Melville should be willing to keep the name Soca Warriors alive. “Selwyn Melville has his rights, you have to respect it. The TTFA also has to take care of the interests of football going forward. Hopefully, on Thursday, in the meeting, I will be able to give you some further information.
“Everything I do, I go into it hopeful that people will be receptive, they will understand the big picture in the interest of TT. That is our purpose as the Ministry of Sport, to make sure we represent people in the correct way. Everybody loves the name Soca Warriors. It has resonated with people.”
