Taleigao-Sporting match called off
TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: The GFA under-18 football league match between Clube Sao Miguel de Taleigao and Sporting Clube de Goa at St Cruz ground, Thursday was called off after two match officials, Rajiv Chowdury and Jan Rodrigues failed to report even after the teams lined up for the kick-off.
Two match officials Anthony Caido, Domnic Araujo and match commissioner Shankar Kalangutkar decided to call off the fixture after the clubs refused to play with the full complement of qualified officials.
Levino Pereira, president-cum-coach, CSM Taleigao said, “The GFA had informed about the fixture on February 13. We replied on February 18, requesting to postpone the match after the parents were reluctant to send their children for the game due to forthcoming SSC board exams. The GFA did not even bother to reply or postpone the tie.
“Even then, we reported for the match but were shocked that the match was called off for no fault of ours as two GFA referees failed to turn up.”
This is not the first or second time that an official GFA match had to be called off for the absence of qualified referees. But who cares. The GFA has now become thick skinned.
