Overview:
Paryaj Lakay, a sports activities betting and on line casino firm primarily based in Pétion-Ville, has supported the Haitian males’s under-17 soccer staff by donating 19.8 million gourdes—about $150,000—to assist their preparation for the Qatar 2025 FIFA World Cup in that class. This donation highlights betting platform funds as a brand new supply of financing for Haiti’s sports activities sector and renews its longstanding reliance on playing sponsorship.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — Sports activities betting and on line casino firm Paryaj Lakay, Haitian Creole for Residence Guess, has partnered with the Haitian Soccer Federation (FHF) to assist put together the lads’s under-17 nationwide soccer staff for the 2025 FIFA World Cup, which might be performed in Qatar in November. In accordance with its Aug. 1 Facebook post, the Pétion-Ville-based firm has donated by means of its basis 19.8 million gourdes—roughly $150,000—to the FHF to make sure the staff arrives in the very best situation for the competitors.
“They’re our future,” the betting platform officers wrote. “There’s no greater pleasure than waving our flag for the world to see.”
The donation is among the many largest ever made by a Haitian betting platform to a nationwide sports activities entity—signaling the nation’s rising reliance on personal betting sponsors amid continual underfunding from the federal government and lack of transparency from nationwide federations. The nation’s sports activities sector, notably soccer, has a longstanding reliance on playing sponsorship—notably the lottery trade, principally referred to as bòlèt.
FHF confirmed the partnership in a July 31 statement, including {that a} donation function can also be energetic on the ParyajLakay.com website to permit public contributions.
“Via this gesture, the Paryaj Lakay Basis reaffirms its dedication to Haitian youth and launches a name for nationwide mobilization,” the assertion learn.
Public mistrust amid a protracted historical past of monetary mismanagement in Haitian soccer
Regardless of appreciation for the donation, many Haitians stay involved that the funds gained’t be used as supposed.
“We will’t belief them [FHF],” mentioned Varona Jean-Charles, a soccer fan from Léogâne. “Sure, Paryaj Lakay is making an attempt to avoid wasting the staff, however individuals within the federation won’t use all of it on the staff. We will need to have doubts. We stay in a corrupt nation.”
Jean-Charles, 28, mentioned he nonetheless plans to contribute by means of Paryaj Lakay’s platform—however with reservations.
“In the event that they misuse my cash, karma will hit them,” he mentioned, calling for Haiti’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) to audit FHF spending.
Others echoed his sentiments on social media.
“It will’ve been nice if this cash did precisely what it’s presupposed to do,” wrote Fb consumer Vilgard Charles.
“Sure, Paryaj Lakay is making an attempt to avoid wasting the staff, however individuals within the federation won’t use all of it on the staff. We will need to have doubts. We stay in a corrupt nation.”
Varona Jean-Charles, Soccer fan
The precise breakdown of how the $150,000 might be used stays unclear, and neither FHF nor Paryaj Lakay responded to messages from The Haitian Instances looking for remark.
The FHF has lengthy confronted allegations of embezzlement and unaccountability. In 2017, for example, FIFA donated half a million US dollars to rehabilitate six fields broken by Hurricane Matthew—funds that didn’t yield seen outcomes.
In 2019, Haiti’s senior males’s nationwide staff made a historic run to the Gold Cup semifinals, but gamers by no means obtained their promised bonuses. In accordance with AyiboPost, the federation obtained $200,000 from CONCACAF for that event.
This sample of lacking funds continues to forged doubt on even well-intentioned contributions.
World Cup preparation in three phases
Haiti’s under-17 staff is at the moment in Port-au-Prince with 26 gamers for the primary part of coaching. On July 29, they defeated native membership Abeilles FC in a pleasant match. They’ll journey to the south and the north this month to proceed with their coaching and play extra warm-up video games.
The second part will happen in Jamaica from August 31 to September 14. The ultimate part might be held in Spain from September 15 by means of October 31 earlier than touring to Qatar.
On the 2025 U-17 FIFA World Cup, Les Grenadiers will face Egypt on Nov. 4, England on Nov. 7, and Venezuela on Nov. 10 within the group stage.