TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: Taking a jibe at Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, GFDC Chairman Dr Rufino Monteiro on Friday said the sports minister has failed to honour his promise to upgrade the Devabhaga grounds, which GFDC operates as its Canacona Center.
Speaking at the kits distribution function at Devabhaga grounds, Dr Monteiro said lack of changing room and toilets forced girl participants out of the camp. “The participants at the Canacona GFDC center which began on a positive note on February 8 this year with enough girls participating is still tattering at 58 pupils; however, there are hardly any girls participating in now,” he added.
“During inauguration of the camp in Canacona, the sports minister had assured to upgrade this ground suitably with basic amenities within four months, but nothing happened so far,” stated Dr Monteiro.
“Non-availability of changing room and toilets may have perhaps forced the girls’ participants, seen during the centre inauguration, out of the camp now,” he said.
“We did not consider Canacona center because your MLA is the sports minister, but it was for the betterment of football and presence of talent like Kevin Lobo in the taluka,” he said.
“The two goals scored by Kevin on Thursday against FC Goa, a team with only negligible Goan players, are not only good goals, but both the goals are world class goals,” he added.
Dr Monteiro said the Devabhaga ground can be upgraded by taking government help and also assured to get government funds with Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza’s help to develop a ground at a new place, in case Canacona Municipal Council is willing to earmark a suitable place for it.
“I request parents from Canacona to support, strongly stand behind and lead your children to different sports disciplines and football is absolutely the best choice to make. Please send more and more children at the GFDC Canacona centre and this will give more opportunities to the participants to excel and give and emerge at their best,” he added.
