PANJIM: The Bandodkar Gold Cup, Goa’s prestigious football tournament is set to revive after 21 long years as the Goa Football Association has planned for the tournament to be conducted in May with two international teams and other top teams taking part. The tournament is mainly to be sponsored by Shashikala Kakodkar and her family.
The Trophy which was in a vault was brought out, on Tuesday by GFA president Elvis Gomes and vice-president Schubert Furtado along with Tony Botelho and Alex D’Souza and presented to Shashikala Kakodkar on the eve of her 80th birthday at her residence in Altinho.
Made up of gold and weighing over 10kgs, the trophy will be on display at the Tilak Maidan, Vasco and Nehru stadium, Fatorda, Margao during the Federation Cup matches, on Wednesday.
An elated Kakodkar profusely thanked the GFA for bestowing the honour on the eve of her birthday. “My family is grateful to the present GFA and president Gomes for the initiative. We commit our support even financially,” stated Kakodkar.
Two out of four signatories were required to retrieve the trophy from the safe deposit vaults of the bank. Two signatories, Sagun Shankwalkar and Francisco Branco have passed away. Alex D’Souza and Anthony Bothelo – the other two signatories introduced Elvis Gomes and Schubert Furtado as the two new signatories in the presence of Mapusa Municipal Council Chairperson, Sandeep Fallari. The trophy is now breathing life in the hands of the GFA.
The first edition of the Bandodkar Gold Cup was clinched by Leaders Club, Punjab in 1970 and the last edition was won by Salgaocar SC in 1994.
