Team Herald
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PANJIM: Avertano Furtado, presidential candidate for the upcoming Goa Football Association, said he is not a man to make tall promises but likes to deliver whatever he says.
Avertano is facing Churchill Alemao in the GFA elections to he held on October 28.
“Choose the right person who you feel will do the best for sports. Let us not mix politics with sports. Let us take sports to the high standard as our younger generation depend on the decisions we take. Our youth will go on the right track if we show them the right way,” he appealed to the 160-odd clubs who will decide the fate of GFA for the next four years.
He urged the clubs not to fall prey to tall promises made by his opponent.
“Churchill’s brother Joaquim, who was once the GFA president, had promised Rs 50,000 to each club but his promises are yet to be fulfilled. I will try my best to give some incentives to the clubs if I get elected”, he said.
“In the Assembly, Churchill had taken the support of MLAs to get a grant of Rs 3 crore for his club (Churchill Brothers) but never took up the issue of incentives for other smaller clubs. He should have also raised the issue of other clubs who are more in need of funds”, he added.
“This is nothing personal but we require young people to run the Association and I will be fully dedicated to football as I love football and want to give my best which I have achieved for the last 10 years playing for the clubs”, he said.
He appreciated the present GFA President Elvis Gomes for his efforts of asking incentives of Rs 2 lakh to each club from the government.
When asked when he decided to contest for the GFA president’s post, he said, “I had decided to contest the GFA elections six months back on the request of many of my former football playing colleagues and club officials. I have vast experience in football and this has motivated me more”.
GFA has done an excellent job for the past many years and “I appreciate the hard work put up by the present and past presidents who kept the Goa football flag flying high.”
He congratulated the players and coaches for their painful efforts to get football to the present level.
“I visited around 150 of the 160 clubs to inform them about my contesting for the GFA post and I received a positive response. I also found out their difficulties and problems in continuing with the teams in professional and division leagues. The main difficulty is utilisation of developed ground by the clubs. I will take permission from government and SAG so that these grounds can be given to the villagers”, he said and added that grass roots development of all age groups will be his top priority.
“Inter-village tournaments are the main grass roots for football development and incentives are needed for the clubs who organise them. I will try and get these incentives from the government so that the clubs will continue organising these tournaments and motivate players’ participation in all age group tournaments organised by GFA”, he added.
“After the formation of Goa Football Development Council and hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup we can see a lot of young boys and girls taking up soccer. GFA, Sports Authority of Goa and the affiliated clubs have started academies and are seriously pursuing grass root and youth development programmes. My aim is to bring all the stakeholders together to work in a unified manner for the development of The Beautiful Game”, he quipped.
“Besides my executive committee I will also form a technical committee which will comprise all international players of yester years, in order to avail of their knowledge and experience”, he added.
“I fulfilled all my promises for football clubs and youth as an MLA in Navelim constituency. I have developed five football grounds and also a sports complex has been coming up behind the Navelim church for which 50,000 sq mts land has already been acquired”, he informed.
Meanwhile, Mormugao unopposed elect Salgaocar FC’s Adlear D’Cruz has clarified that he is not part of any panel for the upcoming GFA elections. “He (Adlear D’Cruz) is independent and is representing Salgaocar FC,” said SFC in a release.
