One Bermuda Alliance has slammed Government for pulling the plug on its multi-million dollar commitment to the Bermuda Football Association who have been forced to make a trio of redundancies.The BFA saw no option other than to lay off youth director Devarr Boyles, financial controller Gideon Kigotho and programme developer coordinator Ian Rawlins, having had their annual grant slashed from $3 million to a meagre $400,000 in recent years.BFA president Larry Mussenden said last week the Association had to cut jobs because they could no longer “support the current staffing levels” at their Cedar Avenue headquarters.And yesterday, Opposition Senator Toni Daniels the Shadow Minister for Youth & Sport called for Government to fully explain its decision to drastically reduce the BFA’s funding.“By failing to invest the promised funds, the BFA has been forced to cut critically important youth programmes and make several employees redundant, including its youth director,” Daniels said.“The public will recall, to great fanfare, the PLP Government’s pre-election promise in 2007 that it would give the BFA $15 million over five years for football development.“The funding was to help the BFA realise its long-term strategic plan to raise the level of football throughout Bermuda, particularly by developing youth football.“The investment was also to be used to provide scholarship opportunities for young athletes to “make positive contributions to Bermuda.”Without a full-time youth director, it remains unclear how the BFA will fully operate their National Academy, which has coached hundreds of teenage boys and girls during the past three years.Should the BFA have to significantly scale down their youth programmes, Daniels believes the implications could be damaging “in terms of future anti-social behaviour, crime and unemployment”.“The good work of the BFA helps provide children and adolescents with many critically important life lessons including discipline, teamwork and healthy living,” she said.“It is proven that countries that fail to invest in their youth pay a dear price in terms of future anti-social behaviour, crime and unemployment. Therefore, the Minister of Youth & Sport needs to explain the decision to renege on its investment in the BFA.”Bermuda’s encouraging World Cup qualifying campaign late last year, which saw them defeat Trinidad 1-0 at home, suggested the local game was moving in the right direction, said Daniels, who is now concerned about the sport’s future.“The long-term development of our athletes through consistent and dedicated programmes garners results as evidenced by the recent World Cup campaign,” said Daniels.“The fall-off in funding gutted the BFA’s ability to fulfill its strategic plan, forcing it to cut jobs. In addition to the BFA’s youth director, the programme director and financial controller will also lose their jobs at month’s end.“Furthermore, we understand the Government’s failure to provide the BFA with promised support also prompted the Association to postpone its Legend scholarships for student athletes.”