PANJIM: Goa Football Association President Elvis Gomes on Wednesday claimed the allegations made by Churchill Brothers Football Club President Churchill Alemao on the Bandodkar Gold Trophy as baseless.
“Churchill had made a statement on Bandodkar Gold Trophy alleging that the trophy was substituted which the GFA committee has termed baseless”, said Elvis at the Association Emergency meeting in the presence of 14 executive committee members.
It may be noted that during the Zero Hour mention on Tuesday, Churchill had brought to the notice of the House that the Bandodkar Gold Cup, valued at Rs 20 lakh in 1999 as per Goa Football Association (GFA), has now been switched over to a less precious metal and GFA claims that the gold in the trophy is only 11 percent.
“Churchill took the reference of the book ‘Grass is Green in Goa’ but question remains as to how the compilation of the book was done and what basis the value of the trophy was given,” Elvis argued.
Elvis informed that in 2009, when Joaquim Alemao was the GFA president, there was an attempt to take out the Trophy from the bank vault custody and value the same but it failed.
“It was only in 2016 that the Trophy was finally brought out from the bank with the sole motive of whatever is gold should glitter outside rather than keeping it in the dark for 22 years and with the intention of re-launching the same. The tournament was held and the Trophy was also displayed for the fans,” he said.
“The issue of substitution was raised during that time but the issue was clearly explained at the GFA AGM in 2016 to all the members which has been reflected in the minutes published in the annual report of 2017 after doing the composition of what the Trophy contains,” he informed.
Elvis asked the government to go any length to prove the authenticity of the Bandodkar Gold Trophy but also requested the government to look into other grievances which the Association have been repeating time and again.
“Firstly grounds are not made available for the Association even to prepare for a State team for the Nationals, besides a request for grants of Rs 2 lakh each for every inter-village clubs has also not been fulfilled,” for which Elvis urged to take up these issues before the assembly sessions.
Elvis also requested Churchill to take the Lusofonia Games camp money of Rs 11 lakh which the government still ‘owes to the Association’.
Elvis further informed that the Trophy which was brought out from the bank is in the safe custody of Goa Football Association.
“The Bandodkar Gold Trophy is in the safe hand of the GFA,” Elvis claimed.
