R. Fernandes
This year too, GFA ends the football season with the wooden spoon.
The concept of Governance in Goa is very strange. This strange culture was set by the Post-Liberation businessmen of Goa mainly the mine ‘owners’. When any person/committee/Party is elected to whatever Organisation/Govt./Club etc. the elected representatives behave like they are sole owners of the entity with no accountability to the members who elected them! A concept from the 99 year leases and mining leases.
Ditto the GFA. Despite having an ocean of I-League calibre players to choose from Goa yet again failed to get hold of the Santosh Trophy. Worse, all other States relied on non-I-League players mostly 2nd Div. This is total failure. The GFA does not think it fit to apologise to Goa and the GFA members. This is total administrative failure on the part of GFA not the players. If you cannot rule GFA then how can you rule Goa? The Team Manager blames the players and the President exhibits helplessness! Please, take responsibility and apologise. This is the first step to improvement.
Goan Football scenario is bleak. Players are not getting any visibility: either to play for the Country or for the ISL. Even the age group India selection is taken only from the I-League teams 2nd-Div league. GFA needs to work on this. When the 3 local I-League teams pulled out the owners specifically made it a point to state that the players would still be selected for National duty. This is not so. To their credit they still maintain the teams for the Goa Pro-league but this is not enough.
What was the difference between the I-League and the ISL? The Super Cup shows it is only marketing. Fans come because of the marketing strategy: cricket and movie stars and the live coverage which puts the spot light on the fans. Cut off these and the fans will once again disappear.
Post-Liberation, the Goan players mesmerised the rest of the country: they played only within Goa. The GFA needs to upgrade the standard by proper detailed planning. At present, they are totally clueless.They need to first change this ‘as elected members we are now the owners for the next term and not accountable to anyone’ attitude.
There are so many Clubs with active players, so many active former stars: GFA can be a vibrant body.
We must have a vision: the full GFA-present or past has none. Neither do the various academies in Goa the Directors of whom are only looking to cement their place till retirement. There is nothing worthy coming from them. They only moan that the India Team, which used to have 5 or 6 Goan players, now has one. The GFA needs to be humble enough to invite others for consultation. If you want the standard to be top notch, then cut the factions and ego. Everyone has had more than enough time to show results. Move outside the box. Not outside Goa as only Goans care for Goa.
