TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
Celebration Cup football
PANJIM, APRIL 4
Goa’s inter-village tournaments are not just unique but, by now, stuff of legend. The State is probably the only place in the world which organizes football contests among villages, many of which are as fiercely fought as any other battle worth its name.
Several of such tournaments have sprouted all over the State making it one of the star attractions for the village and villagers.
The Goa Football Association (GFA) is now aiming to put the popularity of inter-village tournaments to great use, hoping that the sky-rocketing popularity will do its youth development programme a world of good.
The GFA will organize the under-16 inter-village tournament, the first time an age-group competition is being held at such a level, from April 21. It will be a seven-a-side event but crucially seven substitutes will be allowed. The tournament would conclude in mid- May.
The Coke-Cola sponsored tournament will be held, at first, on a zonal basis at four centers depending on the entries.
The competition will be held on half the field with 20 minutes making each half and a 5- minute break.
Fantastic prizes will be on offer to teams that go all the way. Mere participation would mean that the teams would be eligible for a free set of jerseys and shorts. The winners will take home Rs. 50,000, the runners-up Rs 25,000 and third place Rs 15,000.
The competition is expected to draw huge response but the GFA said the entries will be strictly restricted to the first 48 teams.
Entry forms will be sent to all the clubs, or alternatively, they can be collected from any of the GFA offices in Panaji, Margao and Mapusa.
