Team Herald
PANJIM: An Executive Committee member of the Goa Football Association (GFA) has expressed his ire over a statement by the association’s president Churchill Alemao who was quoted by a section of the press on the status of the I-League.
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Jonathan De Sousa alleged that the GFA president expressed his personal opinion that the I-League and not the Indian Super League should be the country’s top competition – the only such view among 36 affiliated units of the All India Football Federation.
“The news item involving the Goa FA has compelled us the undersigned Executive Committee members of Goa FA who could meet at short notice to make this representation, without prejudice to the rights of other members who could not be contacted at such a short notice,” De Sousa said.
“The matter being of grave importance, we the Executive Committee members of the Goa Football Association (GFA) will bring to the notice of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) that neither in the recent Executive Committee of the GFA held on 12th July 2022, which was subsequently adjourned and continued on 15th July 2022 nor in any of the past meetings any such matter was discussed nor was any decision taken by the Committee with regards to the above mentioned subject.
“Whatever recommendations or suggestions received by AIFF have therefore to be treated as sent by the President of the GFA in his individual capacity and disregarded outright as being unauthorised.”
De Sousa named the other members supporting his view as Anthony Pango (vice-president), Adlear D’Cruz, Anthony Leo Fernandes, Prakash Dessai, Cosme Oliveira (executive committee member) and Digvijay Velingkar (co-opted member).
De Sousa added: “The (aforesaid) members being unaware of the contents of the letter sent by the Association to the CoA, are compelled to bring to your notice the bias and conflict of interest in the comments. The President of GFA has personal Association with Churchill Brothers SC, an I –League club and therefore ought to have recused himself from sending any comments without taking up the matter in the executive committee meeting.”
