MARGAO: The Churchill Bros FC Patron Churchill Alemao retorted that grants to his club are legal and no amount of injecting politics will make them illegal.
Alemao who is also the GFA President said he is proud of having raised the economic status of footballers by raising the players’ salaries which eventually forced the other clubs to follow suit.
“The money which the Churchill Bros FC has received from the Government is a grant-in-aid pattern duly approved by the Government just like the grants being given to schools, colleges, other institutions, clubs, etc. There is a pattern of assistance under which the grants are released and the credit goes to the former Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar who was instrumental in getting the proposal duly approved,” said Churchill.
“For the past three years the grant is available for any two Goan clubs participating in the I-League. There is a pattern of assistance for providing the grant which is released after its accounts are duly audited and verified by the competent authorities. There is a certain rigorous procedure to be followed,” he said.
“There are difficulties and when politics is injected in sports the focus gets lost. Both our politicians who are well known for their sheer opportunism, had an opportunity to stall the grants when they were part of the government. What prevented them from doing so? The grants to Churchill Bros FC have been released because there is a duly Government approved pattern of assistance run on a system of balance and checks,” he said.
“Imagine the number of families benefiting economically due to football which is an industry today,” reminded Churchill.
“Vijai Sardessai, Fatorda MLA in order to cover up his not-so-famous deeds has now resorted to lowering the discourse by mixing up politics with sports which only displays the make up of the mind”, retorted Churchill.
“Our village clubs also need finances and they have suffered because nobody thought of providing them the much-needed finances. Football today is the official game of Goa and the clubs are the pivots in football development,” he said.
