Only two terms for GCA chief in future
SAG, GOA need to adopt tenure limit for office-bearers
TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
PORVORIM/PANJIM: No person holding the post of GCA president shall henceforth hold the office for more than two terms of three years each, as per a decision arrived at the special AGM of the association here, Sunday.
In all, two amendments to the constitution were carried out at the special meeting presided over by president, Vinod Phadke (Balu).
Another change in the rules pertains to the power of the president to remove any office-bearer of the managing committee. Following the amendment, this power vested on the president, has been removed.
As per the old constitution, the president could hold office for as many terms and the president had powers to remove a member of the committee. Under the amended rule, the president shall not remove any office-bearer in the managing committee unless a resolution is passed to that effect by two-third of the members of the committee. It will be mandatory for the president to place the resolution regarding removal of the office-bearer before the managing committee for approval.
 Phadke was questioned as to why some life members were denied entry at today’s meting, and he replied”: “They are  fake members. Narvekar had enrolled some life members violating the rules. These life members did not make the payment as required by the rules of the association and hence they were not allowed to participate in the meeting.”
GCA secretary Prasad Phatarpekar proposed the vote of thanks.
Talking to Herald, Balu said that the two vital amendments were passed unanimously by nearly 90 clubs which attended the meeting. “It’s important that no one person dominates for life and becomes a dictator eventually. After all, we live in a democracy and we need to be transparent, looking only for the promotion of cricket and the talent that today abounds in Goa,” remarked Balu.
The change in the term of office of the president will surely be welcomed by one and all, and especially sportspersons. It is high time that the SAG would also ask all the State level associations to have the term of office of the president limited for two terms through constitutional amendments. Such a clause was existing at one time in Goa, limiting the tenure of office bearers for two terms, with the GFA being the foremost in implementing it for the three office-bearers – president, secretary and treasurer.
It is pity and shame that there are several associations in the State which have presidents occupying the post for unlimited number of years and not adhering to constitutional requirements of even holding annual general body meetings and much less elections on time, giving an impression that they want to hold the chair for life as if it is their own, private property.
The pity is that neither the SAG nor, for that matter, GOA or the Registrar of Cooperative Societies have shown any inclination to rectify such malpractices which only severely affect the careers of sportspersons.
It is high time that directives be issued especially by SAG to streamline the functioning of the associations, more so in matters of holding annual general body meetings and elections, de-recognising those which fail to even organise their annual championships and have no youth development programme but are too happy just to select the State teams for Nationals, sometimes arbitrarily when selecting players for championships abroad like Lusofonia Games in the past only because the money is sanctioned by the Government through the SAG.
It will be only appropriate and sporting if the SAG and GOA inject a sense of discipline among the errant State bodies immediately or else it will be like cancer decimating the game finally, like it has already happened in some sports. The rot has to be stemmed quickly and right now, more so with the new dispensation which has pledged for good governance based on sheer implementation of rules and regulations.