VASCO: The sports ministry moved a proposal to earmark the Chicalim multipurpose ground as one of the training venues for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, in which Goa has been listed as a probable venue. Following the decision, sports lovers from Mormugao threatened to come out on the streets if the administration went ahead with the proposal.
According to Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, the decision was not yet taken as the officials were still inspecting grounds across the state. However, he added that Chicalim ground was among the short-listed grounds that could be taken over and converted into a practice grounds for world cup players. He said, “At the moment, it is only a proposal. The decision is yet to be taken.”
However, sources in the administration stressed that there was a high possibility of the ground being taken away from the locals. They also informed that the use of ground for would be restricted for over a year once the decision was taken. Presently, the ground is used for all types of sports, walking and school activities.
Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho confirmed that he heard about the decision and stated he had already raised his objection with Tawadkar. He said, “This is the only ground left for the people of Mormugao. It is not only used by sports lovers, but over 30 schools and colleges. Moreover, clubs from Mormugao are making optimum use of the ground for sports activities. It will be a wrong to use the ground only for football, and thus, I have raised my objection.”
Meanwhile, the residents of Chicalim and neighbouring areas fear that ground will end up like the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, which was taken up for renovation and later closed for locals. Chicalim panch member Francisco Nunes said, “We saw what happened in the past, and thus, we strongly object to the proposal at the initial stage itself. If the administration takes up any anti-people decision, we will not keep quiet and will retaliate.”
The Chicalim Villager’s Action Committee (CVAC) has also decided to launch a mass protest. CVAC President Rui Araujo said, “Why only the Chicalim ground at Airport Road? This ground is used by hundreds of people daily, and thus, we cannot allow this to happen.”
