PANJIM: There was plenty of drama at the much anticipated Goa Football Association’s Annual General Body Meeting on Sunday.
The meeting, which was expected to discuss about the elections, drew many happy faces, while there were some early exits from the AGM too.
The maximum stayed back till the end of the meeting and looked content with the amendments and decisions taken and passed unanimously during the discussion held at a city hotel, here.
Addressing the media, Goa Football Association President Elvis Gomes said, “We have proposed amendments. These amendments were necessitated as a result of certain directives and requests to implement the provisions of the National Sports Code 2011 and also to bring the constitution in line or in confirmative with the All India Football Federation.”
Elvis added that there are major changes made to the future elections and explained the Sports Code.
“Sports Code regulates conduct of elections and lays down a procedure and also mandates that the member clubs also have a procedure. There is a duty on the member club that they must have elections too. So we have to put up a procedure to regulate this,” explained Elvis.
Elvis, whilst further explaining the conduct of the new change, stated that the person who will vote, his name has to be informed to the returning officer, 20 days in advance. As that, all the candidates will be provided with the list. In case of emergencies and if the appointed person is unavailable to report, they must make a written representation to the returning officer. However, the returning officer’s decision, whether to allow or not to allow voting in this particular case, will be final.
Elvis revealed that the future election process will be started within a week. “Election process takes a minimum of 45 days and within a week the meeting will be called and the returning officer will be appointed and then the whole process will go in his hands,” said the GFA president.
“There shouldn’t be any doubt regarding the conduct of the elections, although the AIFF themselves tried to cause some confusion by sending another letter. The first letter came as a directive to implement Sports Code, read with Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports stating that National Sports Code to be implemented even by the sporting bodies, districts as well as the States,” he quipped.
Elvis stated that all doubts have been cleared with the general body and added, “The general body is supreme in all matters and now what somebody else thinks, whether sitting in Delhi or Goa, has been made abundantly clear,” said Elvis.
“We have amended the Constitution to required extent,” he added.
The body also approved the accounts of last financial year and also gave permanent affiliation to four clubs.
“FC Tuem, Goan Warriors FC, Mormugao United Sports and Cultural Club. Ronit SC have been granted permanent affiliation after they served the period of provision affiliation. Now we have 187 clubs in total which are active and are entitled to vote,” added Elvis.
