PANJIM: The curtain is all set to go up on the prestigious Goa International Football Table (GIFT) 2014 amidst palpable excitement among the visiting delegates, keynote speakers and others who form the star-studded line-up of the three-day event, beginning today, March 14.
What will set the opening day of the three-day event apart is something which has hitherto not be done in India’s footballing history – the release of Nielsen report on “Evaluation of the Football Ecosystem in Goa. This will be followed by a keynote address by Jerome Champagne, former FIFA deputy secretary general who is well versed with the intricate details of the game, and can be aptly termed a football diplomat, having astutely done well both in football administration as well as a former diplomat.
Prior to this will be the release of comprehensive report of Goa Youth Development program by Dr Robin Petersen, CEO of South African Football System (SAFA). Petersen will release this report which dwells on all facets of the youth program, right from the grassroots level to innate development and honing of talent till youth stage in tandem with, Shrinivas Dempo, President Goa Football Association, Subrata Datta, Senior Vice President AIFF, Dr Rufino Monteiro, Chairman GDFC and Elvis Gomes, Member Secretary, GDFC.
Besides the opening addresses by various dignitaries, the opening day will kick-start with a session detailing GFDC’s achievements and remarkable progress made in a short span in a session titled, ‘The Year that was’. Arunava Chaudhuri, will moderate the session whose panelists include Subrata Dutta, Shrinivas Dempo, GFA president, GFDC vice-president and owner of Dempo Sports Club and Ishmeet Singh, Vodafone, Business Head, Maharashtra and Goa.
There will be interactive sessions with the audience and Jerome Champagne.
