Team Herald
PANJIM: Churchill Brothers FC President Churchill Alemao scored a convincing 44-club victory over former fisheries minister Avertano Furtado to rule the Goa Football Association for the next four years on Sunday.
The Benaulim MLA amassed a total of 100 votes to beat rival Avertano who had only 56. Anjuna Gymkhana Secretary Lavinio Rebello was re-elected as the vice-president North while Snow Football Academy President Antonio Pango won the South seat.
After casting votes, Lavinio was declared the winner with 55 votes to beat Panjim Footballers Secretary Angelo Albuquerque who had just 21 votes. On the other hand, Pango had a close fight with his rival Sao Jose de Areal Sports Club Secretary Valente Fernandes. Pango secured 43 votes while Valente bagged 38 votes.
Churchill’s executive committee panel also came in majority in North and South while in Tiswadi he managed to take only a single vote.
In South six out of seven and in North four out of five are from Churchill’s panel.
The 18-member executive committee will be made up of winners from the four zones. Francisco Jose Nunes and Adlear D’Cruz were elected unopposed from the Mormugao Zone. Anthony Leo Fernandes (72 votes), Dionizio Dias (65), Cosme Oliveira (63) Jose Santarita Coelho (57), John Silva (50) Prakash Dessi (50) and Jaju Fernandes (48) were elected from Salcete while Babli Manjrekar (56), Dominic Pereira (55), Gregory D’Souza (44), Minguel Gonsalves (43) and John Fernandes (41), from Bardez. Jonathan De Souza (42), Mauricio Almeida (42), Francisco Araujo (40) and Welvin Menezes (39) were from Tiswadi.
Although Churchill has won the election one has to wait and watch if he will be able to complete his four-year term or will have to sacrifice his chair in seven months if the Sport Code is implemented.
As per the new Sports Code the age limit for an office bearer of any sports association is 70 years, while Churchill claims that the code is only for suggestion and not for implementation.
“It has to be passed by the Parliament and even if it is implemented then I have every right to chair GFA for four years as I have not crossed the age of 70,” he said.
After the defeat Avertano alleged that the votes were manipulated and the results could be seen while counting itself.
“I had advised the clubs to choose the right person who they feel will do the best for football. Manipulation has played the major role in this election and you could make it out from the panel wise voting”, he said.
