PANJIM: As FC Goa will kick start its Hero ISL league with its first match being played at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat has recommended to the government that a football stand at the stadium be named after the State’s former Sports Minister Francisco Monte Cruz, who is celebrating his Platinum Jubilee Year.

In a letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Kamat, the Margao MLA, pointed out that it was due to the efforts put in by Cruz, that the stadium was constructed in a record time of six months in 1989 to host the State’s first International Football tournament- Nehru Gold Cup. 

“The contribution of Francisco Monte Cruz needs to be honoured in his lifetime by the Government. I recommend that a stand on the stadium be named as ‘Francisco Monte Cruz Stand’,” Kamat wrote adding that the contribution of the son of soil has helped the sports fraternity immensely. 

Former Benaulim MLA and sports minister Francisco Monte Cruz was born on March 21, 1945. This year, 2019 happens to be his Platinum Jubilee year. 

“Former sports minister Francisco Monte Cruz had put in lot of efforts to ensure that the stadium is completed in time to host Nehru Gold Cup. His efforts with personal supervision, timely effective decisions, and motivation to the team involved in the construction work yielded positive result and the first International Football match was kicked off on the stadium on the scheduled date in 1989,” Kamat said. 

The former CM, in his appeal to Sawant, reiterated that it would be a fitting tribute to honour the man behind creation of the stadium given that the football festival in Goa kick starts with Hero ISL on Wednesday.