The Goa Cricket Association (GCA) is the richest sports association but somehow its richness does not reflect on the on-field achievements of the teams.
The shocking part is that the GCA gets crores of rupees for development of the game in the state in the form of TV subsidy, IPL share, maintenance grants etc, but unfortunately, not a single Goan player has donned the India colours till date. Even after 30 years of playing in the Ranji Trophy, Goa is always at the bottom of the table.
Shockingly, in the past three years, inquiries reveal that the GCA got Rs 146 cr from the BCCI in the form of various grants but the GCA coffers are surprisingly empty.
The situation is such that the GCA has also defaulted payment of service tax for the last five years to the government amounting to the tune of Rs 19 cr. Also, despite so much revenue, the GCA had to take a loan of Rs 3 cr from the bank.
So where is all this money going?
In the last five years, the GCA has seen four presidents. Narvekar’s term ended in 2012, which saw Vinod Phadke take over. Thereafter in November, Dr Shekhar Salkar took over after the government tightened the noose around the GCA over the Pendse commission report.
In 2015, Chetan Desai took over as the president of GCA.
Now all the four men need to answer about the whereabouts of the money. Except for the purchase of the site for a cricket ground at Vanannt, Bicholim in 2014 for Rs 40-odd crores, there has been no notable expenditure from the GCA.
Former Ranji player, Hemant Angle, who has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in the missappropriation scam says the GCA has become a gold mine for office bearers.
“The inevitable has happened, whoever has committed the crime is behind bars and this is the time to cleanse cricket,” he says.
Merely getting majority from the clubs in election does not allow one to commit fraud, he says.
Former cricketer, Namdev Phadte who was once closest to winning a place in the national team did not want to comment on the controversy but says the sport should not suffer.
“We the ex players feel it is time to cleanse the game. Cricket should be the winner,” he says.
Heavy incentives for managing committee members, not players
One reason why the Goan cricketers never made it to the India team could be because the GCA believes in investing on the managing committee members rather than the young talent.
Insiders say the GCA paid heavy incentives to its managing committee members during every Indian Premier League (IPL) or Goa Premier League (GPL).
The managing committee had taken a decision that during every IPL, a member would be entitled for a cash incentive of Rs 1.5 lakh for watching two IPL matches.
There are 21 members in the executive committee, including a co-opted member, five special invitees and one life member and the total amount comes to Rs 31.5 lakh approximately.
Secondly, after every GPL, the managing committee also decided to give an incentive of Rs 50,000 to the members which was later changed to a laptop or a phone.
Now compare this with the incentives for players, while the Ranji players are paid by the BCCI, it is junior cricket which needs development from the GCA – unfortunately, the GCA has ignored that completely.
A parent, who did not want to be named said that at the under-14 or under-16 level, the players are paid just Rs 500 per day as TA and DA during tournaments.
“This money also is never paid on time but the selectors and managers of this team get their payments on time,” said a parent.
Secondly, another parent informs, “The kit given to the junior level is of such low quality that it does not survive for even one tournament.”
“Our boys never get their sizes of shoes and whites. So it is useless for them,” he added.
“Last year we had been to a South Zone tournament, we saw every team had a kit provided by the state association including playing gear like bats, gloves, leg guards, shoes etc along with a kit bag. But here we get just whites and shoes and that too sub-standard quality,” said the parent.
Parents say not many players are coming forward to play cricket and it is due to politics as parents see no future for their kids in the game in Goa.
