AIFF suspends, fines 5 Vasco Club players, manager
HERALD SPORTS REPORTER
PANJIM, JUNE 7
The AIFF Disciplinary Committee which met in New Delhi on Sunday has suspended five Vasco Club players and their manager for three months each and imposed fines following the fracas after the Vasco Club – HAL match in Second Division I-League in Bangalore last month.
The suspended players who have been fined Rs 5,000 each and awarded three months suspension are Remus Gomes, Jerose Oliveira, Koko Sakibo, Joy Ferrao and Johnson D’Souza.
Manager Gavin Araujo was also suspended for three months and fined Rs 10,000.
Since some of the players may join other clubs, it has been recommended that the fine imposed on them, if not paid well in time, be recovered before their transfer to any other team is cleared by the AIFF. In case they fail to pay the fine, the suspension may be continued till they pay the fine.
The Committee decided to suspend coach Keshav Dutt and manager Hansraj of Haryana team who are primarily responsible for impersonation at under-16 Nationa for 12 months from all football activities.
Impersonating players Yogesh, Navdeep, Jaipal, Bachaan, Deeraj and Deepak Narval have been suspended for a period of 12 months.
The Haryana Football Association has been fined Rs.20,000 with a warning that if any such infringement is repeated by any of its teams in the future, the age-group team will be debarred from playing in the tournament for a period of one year.
The Vasco players, it may be recalled, had confronted the referee after their match against HAL in Bangalore, during which time, the spectators had hurled stones and chairs at them. For the security lapse on the part of the organisers, Karnataka State Football Association was left surprisingly scot free.
It may be recalled that the GFA was fined Rs 50,000 as a Sporting Clube de Goa spectator had allegedly assaulted the referee after the match at Nehru stadium, Fatorda citing security lapses.
Meanwhile, the appeal lodged by Sporting Clube de Goa against the disciplinary measures against them has been postponed to June 16. It was to be heard on Sunday.
The appeal by Dempo Sports Club over the Rs 5 lakh fine imposed on them as their players Mahesh and Sameer did not report for India camp in Goa, will also be taken up on June 16, it is learnt, since the clubs were informed late or not informed about the hearing of their appeals in New Delhi.
Two representatives of Vasco Club, Selwyn Botelho and CEO Alokh Shah represented the club at Sunday’s meeting in New Delhi.
The vice-chairman of Appeals Committee, Albino Vales, could not attend the meeting as he is prohibited under the rules to deliberate on issues pertaining to the clubs of the same State which he represents. Vales, stated, that he had informed the AIFF accordingly. However, it is learnt that the Appeals Committee could not meet due to lack of quorum, according to reliable sources.
