PANJIM: Thirteen Executive Committee (EC) members of Goa Football Association (GFA), in a joint letter to Secretary Jovito Lopes criticised the manner in which the Association is being run.
The GFA Executive Committee comprises 21 members, including the President.
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“The GFA Constitution mandates that meetings should be held periodically which you through the President have failed to do so. Therefore, we the GFA Executive Committee members, duly elected by the active clubs as their representatives, had requested you and the President to convene a meeting of the Executive Committee to decide on important issues such as the status of the tournaments left incomplete during the 2019-2020 season, registration of clubs for 2020-2021 season amongst others. The Executive Committee has also to decide about the postponement of the Annual General Body Meeting of the Board which is scheduled for the month of July,” the signatories stated in the first part of the letter.
“We have nothing against President Churchill Alemao. His love for football and clubs is unquestionable. What has irked us is the way GFA is being run and the duty of running the affairs is that of the secretary. Hence the letter to him,” explained Adlear D’Cruz, one of the signatories of the letter.
“Letters are being sent and we receive no replies. Members of the Executive Committee are being kept in the dark,” added Adlear who was the secretary of GFA from 2012-14.
“I have been elected by clubs on my promise that I would not allow the Statutes of the GFA Constitution be bent or broken. The same clubs are now asking me what I am doing,” stated Babli Mandrekar, the other executive committee member to have signed the letter.
“Your duty as a paid General Secretary is to guide and advise the President to abide by the GFA Constitution and Regulations. It is very unfortunate that the GFA President, according to the report published in the section of the media, is not even aware that there is a Meeting Hall in GFA’s own premises at Duler, Mapusa,” states the letter.
“Let me make it clear that the letter is not against the President but against the secretary’s style of functioning,” stated Anthony Pango, vice president of GFA from South Goa who was another signatory of the letter.
“I signed the letter because other members from South Goa did before me and I thought it would be bad to be left out,” explained Pango.
“I have nothing against Churchill,” stressed Pango.
The 13 GFA EC members wrote the letter to the secretary, in response to his letter dated June 4, 2020 wherein he mentioned, “…their interest shall be fully protected as we need to know also when the season could be made operative for the new season 2020-21as the season 2019-20 is over.”
“It is also surprising to note that your letter states that the 2019-20 season is over while the President has gone on record to state to the section of the media that a decision will be taken at the Executive Committee meeting. Is it a farce or are you trying to overrule the President?” Ask the signatories of the letter.
“I reiterate that the season 2019-20 is closed. Article 2, 15 of the Constitution clearly defines our season as, season means the period from the first day of June of a year to the 31st day of May of the following year. It is sheer ignorance which has been displayed with ulterior motive,” stated Alemao.
It is clear from the interview Churchill gave this paper on July 3 and the letter written by the secretary to the Executive Committee members and all clubs on July 4, that communication is a bane of the Association.
“If the press comes to me for an interview, am I not supposed to answer them? Did I call you or did you come? It can be one journalist or 10, I will answer to all and I have never shied from the press. If they think I have gone to the press, they have a problem. You know whether you came to me or I went to you,” claimed Alemao whilst commenting on the letter sent to the GFA secretary with references to him speaking to a section of the media.
“They have made allegations against Jovito and I am not here to respond to those allegations. ask him,” countered Churchill when asked to comment on complaints against the Secretary.
GFA Secretary Jovito neither responded to calls nor did he respond to a message sent to his mobile to elicit his views.
