It was in early January this year that Sports Authority of Goa’s swimming pool at Fatorda finally received a fresh coat of paint. The reason is not too far to seek. Apparently, the SAG wanted to give a new look to the swimming pool with adjoining Nehru Stadium earning the privilege to host the Lusofonia Games’ inaugural and closing ceremonies.
The fresh court of paint, no doubt, gave a new look to the swimming pool complex, but the canteen located at the entrance to the swimming pool lies in utter neglect as it craves for attention from the SAG over the last one year.
Patronized by budding sportsmen, besides office goers, government servants and lawyers et al, the canteen operator has been literally left to fend for himself for want of government support and assistance. Otherwise, just consider this: The soggy conditions have turned the walls into an eyesore. The furniture is in a shabby state with the damaged chairs awaiting replacement for years now. The wash basin has only one tap, with the second one disconnected for want of repairs by the sports department. Complaints that the broken chairs have been a nuisance to the visitors have failed to spur the SAG for immediate replacement. The canteen owner claims that the new furniture has been procured by him at his own cost.
When Team Herald visited the canteen on Tuesday morning, a dog was found sleeping inside. A couple of ceiling fans were not in working condition.
When Herald brought the pitiable condition of the canteen to the notice of the Nehru Stadium manager, Gurudas Vernekar, he was frank to admit that the canteen indeed needs a facelift. Vernekar, however, has no plans to renovate the canteen in future, saying that the canteen may get the facelift as and when a new swimming pool takes concrete shape at the existing place. He, however, agreed to replace the broken furniture on an urgent basis when it was pointed out that sportspersons in particular and public in general avail the canteen facility every day.
Says a city-based lawyer: “The government cannot compromise on hygiene. It should immediately intervene and direct the SAG to renovate the canteen on priority. The SAG should not wait for the construction of a new pool to put the canteen in place”.
