It made for a very interesting season of football. The ISL season kicked off on November 20, and ended on March 13. Hosted behind closed doors across three venues due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Goa it was a festival of the people’s game which started on 20 November 2020 and ended on 13 March 2021. It was hosted behind closed doors across three venues in Goa due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Goa played host to some of the finest Indian players and foreigners coming in from various corners of the world. Now as the tournament recedes into the past and everyone is left with memories, one can ask what Goa has learned from it. The fact it was conducted without any glitches should be a source of much pride. Does it place Goa back as the prime destination for the game in the country? And more importantly will it be a boost to the game at the grassroots. Sukhvinder Singh has played the game in various national championships and is now involved as the Director & Co-Founder of Singh Sports Ventures a sports advisory and projects company based out of Goa. He felt one could undoubtedly take pride in the fact the longest league was conducted in the country without any problems. He said “The IPL went to Dubai but the ISL was played in Goa, India and the state had the facilities which were upgraded and which the players appreciated. You have to understand people understand football here in this state.” He admitted a very large corporate was involved whose expertise in organising large was very good but in the end Goa benefited. Speaking about how one could leverage the benefits he said due to the virus, no legacy planning was possible but with 11 pitches all done and three stadiums refurbished the infrastructure he said was in place and now it was up to the local authorities to plan it properly. This tournament he said was a boost to sports tourism, with rooms ready for fans and infrastructure in place to transport them to the stadiums. With regards how all this could be leveraged he said it would have to all depend on the local associations. He said one could not hide the fact that activities at the grassroots remained the responsibility of the local authorities, the community as well as the regional bodies. He has been considered as one of the greatest footballer’s to emerge from the soil of Goa. Arjuna Awardee Mr. Brahmanand Sankhwalkar, Chairman GFDC said there was much good that came out of the ISL being held in Goa. He said “The three grounds were upgraded. The players were taken of and yes the games were all telecast. Importantly the football played was good. Importantly some of the Indian players played very well. With regards to efforts at the grass root, I believe nothing can be done till the pandemic is brought under control”. He expressed his happiness of the grass root programs initiated by FC Goa and other teams in the state but he felt it was important to make parents understand that football could give their children a very good life. He said “I see so many promising footballers reducing their effort when they reach age 10-11. Remember encouragement for football begins at home. In my time players played wholeheartedly and many of them are living abroad comfortably. You have to give your all on the field and you will be taken care. Competition has increased dramatically. There is FC Goa and sadly apart from Churchill Brothers there is no one in the I League. We need more Goan teams in the I- league. That will help Gaon football. It will open more spots for talented local players. That will then blend beautifully into the grass root activities taking place.” Attempts to contact other senior Goan administrators proved futile. However Goan fans had much to say. Conrad Barretto said there was no doubt Goa had always been an elite football destination. It was after all one of the only states in the country with 3 AFC accredited stadiums. He felt having the ISL in Goa was big coup for Goa because it would also bring them recognition all over Asia. Goa, he said would now be hosting the AFC Champions League Group Stage too. He however felt there was no effect on grassroots football. He felt there was a need for better infrastructure for grassroots development along with better coaching education. Mariano D Cunha felt the training pitches could be used to conduct grassroot tournaments which could benefit the players of tomorrow. Kunal Kunkolienkar felt with the Indian Super League having being successfully conducted, everyone had noticed the organisation the state was capable of. He said “ The ground, the training facilities, etc have been up to the mark and have maintained quality standards throughout the league. We now have many grounds across the state where local and domestic teams as well as international teams can train and play matches. I feel immensely proud belonging to a state with such a rich and overwhelming footballing culture. This will definitely help the young guys at the grassroot levels as they’ll benefit with good quality grounds, training facilities, etc. It’s given a major boost to the state and I strongly feel that the National Team games will also be held here in the coming years soon”. One can only hope the hopes and aspirations of Goan fans come alive in the future.
