SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Goa's exit from Santosh not acceptable
It was indeed a shocking news to learn that Goa existed from the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy in Bhavnagar on Sunday in the qualifying stage losing to Gujarat which had bunch of amateurs many of them Government employees.
Football is a State sport in Goa where five players are respresenting the National team and many more in the ISL and I League team which are not eligible to represent in the Santosh Trophy, but that's no excuse for Goa which has 12 teams in the GPL and another 172 registered clubs playing in other GFA's lower division leagues.
Lately it is noticed that the seating stands are empty in the stadiums as the standard of play has declined tremendously. Even free entry to the Duler stadium in the GPL matches and recent concluded Goa Police Cup was poorly attended.
Also due to the ongoing Covid pandemic inter village tournaments are rarely conducted due to lack of sponsorship.
President of Goa Football Association and State Sports Minister should take the exit of Goa in the qualifying round seriously and act fast before our youngsters take to some other sports.
Anthony Fernandes, Assagao.
Minnows surprise ‘giants’ in Santosh
With my head down in shame and putting my head high in congratulating the Goan trained Coach Marcelino Pereira of the Gujarat soccer team in the West Zone Qualifying encounter for the prestigious national tourney Santosh Trophy, I praise the minnows Gujarat not only to defeat the so called mighty Goa but inflicting a humiliating defeat on Goa. As reported in your daily Herald of 29.11.21 that “it was the matter of pride for a (Goan) Coach for beating the so called giants of Indian football where he was doubted in his own State”, I refuse to accept the word ‘giants’ even when it is used jokingly.
In fact the tag of ‘Giant’ was rightly given to the Goan team by the national press when the uncolonial Goa participated in its maiden participation somewhere in 1964 of the Santosh Trophy held in Madras when uncolonial Goa with its excellent mode of soccer imbibed from its colonial masters whose some of the superb players created a better soccer era in Goa than anywhere in India.
Then your report said “GFA Executive committee kept in dark about the team’s selection”. Is the Executive Committee not ashamed to speak out this so loudly? What are you for as Executive Committee? If you are really having any shame then resign with an apology to every Goan for your silence on this point for such a long period.
Goa is no more creating excellent footballers as it was in earlier decades, many of our village grounds are denied to the local boys but instead are closed and used for commercial purpose for the visiting teams participating in big tournaments in Goa. In this way free access to our locals is denied.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Amendment in the Anti defection Act 1985
In the latest defection case it seems that Meghalaya is trying to overcome Goa in the defection cases. In the same Goan way 12 MLAs out of 17 MLAs left Congress to join Trinamool Congress. Every Indian state and union Territory keeps an eye on Goan politics. Goa was an union Territory from 1961 to 1987 with 30 assembly seats including Daman and Diu. The virus of defection entered Goa in the very second assembly election which was held soon after the famous Opinion poll. In that election results both the parties got equal number of seats, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party 15 seats and United Goans Party 15 seats. Benaulim UGP MLA defected from UGP to MGP to form MGP government for the second time and thus virus of defection was born in Goa.
In 1987 Goa got statehood and number of Assembly seats increased to 40 seats after excluding Daman and Diu. Within two years in 1989 the virus of defection showed up again and from 1989 to 1994 Goans have seen seven chief ministers and from 1994 to 2000 six more chief ministers that means from 1989 to 2000 Goans have seen 13 chief ministers and two President rules in Goa. So much defection was going on in Goa that whole of India was watching us. But no one was bothered to do amendment in the Anti-defection Act which was enacted in 1985.
Till date Goa is creating history and breaking their own records. How can Goans forget the defection of 7 MLAs from Congress to form Progressive Democratic Front government in 1990. And that record is broken now after 2017 elections when12 MLAs of Congress defected to BJP and now one more to Trinamool Congress. So amendment is not the need of the hour?
Amendment should be done in such a way that a MLA once elected on his party symbol he cannot leave that party for the rest of term. A election commission of India should take the decisions on defections and not the speaker of the assembly. Hope better sense will prevail and some amendment will be done to the present Anti-defection Act.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Alarming Covid-19 Deaths, infections
As on November 24, 2021, the total number of Covid-19 infections in the world has reached a grim figure of 258 million cases, with 5.4 million deaths worldwide having been reported. These figures indicate that every one in 25.58 in the world have been infected if you consider that the total world population is 6.6 billion. Also these figures indicate that one in every 122.22 people in the world has perished to the dreaded disease.
Now, another grim statistic is that one in every 47.7 people who have been infected has succumbed to the disease. As far as the United States is concerned, in the entire year 2020, 385,343 people have died as a consequence of the disease. The United States with one of the best health care system and the best vaccines available in the world has not been able to contain the spread of Covid-19 well enough.
To add to this tale of misery, the world has now begun to get infected with another variant, the Omicron which originated in South Africa and has been dubbed as a variant of concern by the WHO because of its ability to mutate and suspected to be resistant to vaccines now available. Although in its initial stages, the Omicron variant has already begun to infect people.
Many countries around the world have begun to restrict travel from and to the countries where the Omicron variant has been detected. Extreme caution should be exercised in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
PSI destroys Navelim youth’s future
With regards to "Brute cop Stanley needs to be sacked. NOW!" (Herald November 29, 2021). A cold shiver. Goose bumps. This is what you experience when you read this news item on the pages of Herald.
Heart goes out to the poor and innocent young Edwin Coelho - the victim of the brutality of Stanley - the man in khaki to protect and provide safety to common me and women like Edwin Coelho who was all set to sail to Canada for livelihood to support his poor family.
What a cold-blooded murder of a bright and promising career of hardworking Edwin Coelho even before it could begin!
This cruel assault on the young Edwin Coelho is a brazen attempt to murder in broad daylight inside the police station. Now suspended PSI Stanley Gomes must not only apologise to the grievously injured Edwin Coelho and his teary eyed worried family but also bear all the expenses towards treatment of the poor victim in shock. Edwin Coelho, whose dream of flying to Canada for livelihood, lies shattered as of now.
Gafaar Shaqoor, Margao
