PANJIM: Just a day after being assured the top post in the Goa Football Association (GFA), Goa Football Development Council (GFDC) Member Secretary, Elvis Gomes chaired a meeting attended by Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs (DSYA) Director Tawde, Deputy Director of DSYA Juliana Colaco, GFA general secretary Adlear D’Cruz, GFDC Technical Director Katz Naidoo and senior officers of the three departments to chalk out a roadmap for the development of football in Goa.
Though still unnamed, the football master plan envisages to amalgamate soccer activities between the government and GFA. “Schools, the football cradle worldwide, are expected to be the cogs to take football a step ahead and hence the need to lay emphasis on them,” stated Gomes in his opening remarks.
Juliana Colaco then outlined the various football tournaments conducted by them for school children in Goa. In her note, she mentioned that the “DSYA holds tournaments for under-13, under-14, under-17 and under-19”. They are all knock-out zonal tournaments with the best vying for the State title, she stated. Light was also thrown on the Subroto Cup tournament which is currently underway.
As a step forward, Gomes pointed out that a school plays a maximum of eight matches per calendar year, which is not good enough. “If a school is knocked out of a DSYA tournament, its players have no avenue for competitive football for the rest of the academic year. By introducing a league in school football, we can ensure that players will play a minimum of eight matches,” Gomes pointed out.
Gomes and Tawde strongly supported the idea of starting a league system for the under-19 from this academic year. “Nothing much can be done for the other age groups at this time of the year as activities have already commenced. But we can definitely try with the under-19. If it succeeds, the same can trickle down to the other groups, next year,” Elvis who will be officially announced GFA president on July 27 stated.
Officials from the DSYA, GFA and GFDC have been requested to form another committee to work out the logistics of how efforts of each organisation can be complemented and supplemented by the other. A meeting of this committee is expected in the days to come.
If a school is knocked out of a DSYA tournament, its players have no avenue for competitive football for the rest of the academic year. By introducing a league in school football, we can ensure that players will play a minimum of eight matches
Elvis Gomes
