This will be the second visit of the AIFF delegation to inspect the facilities. The first was held, last December when the Nehru Stadium was booked for the Indian Super League (ISL) matches by FC Goa with SAG’s (Sports Authority of Goa) technical officials being kept in the dark.
The high-level team of the AIFF comprising Constantin Wieland, FIFA Competitions Process Manager and Vijay Parthasarthy accompanied by GFA (Goa Football Association) officials held talks with the Nehru Stadium manager as the top brass of SAG was not involved in the same.
Since the stadium was fully booked by FC Goa, some rooms were found to be locked during the all important inspection of Nehru Stadium. Obviously, there was a serious communication gap with the SAG feeling that it was only the Stadium Manager who was invited, that too, at the last minute by the GFA.
The visiting team did send a report after a two hour inspection, suggesting several changes including additional modifications of the dressing rooms for the team.
Consequently, the SAG notified the AIFF about the lack of proper information about the inspection and after lengthy discussions agreed to do the needful. As such, the SAG has agreed to provide accommodation to the India team trainees at the stadium dormitories and the work on laying the artificial turf is almost completed.
The AIFF has also asked the renovated playground at Benaulim be made available for the U-17 India team, for a period of nearly three years ending 2017.
Presently, the Benaulim ground is being used by the Goa Football Development Council (GFDC) with the Benaulim centre of GFDC having its training for youngsters.
As there has been no follow-up on the availability of the Benaulim ground, AIFF’s General Secretary sent a letter on February 5 to GFA President Elvis Gomes. It states, “We are now ready to start the U-17 World Cup Academy (India) in Goa by mid of February. We have already signed an agreement with the SAG for the use of dormitories at the stadium. However, we have still not got the clarity about the exclusive usage of the Benaulim football ground which is going to be used by the Academy for training sessions. Unless we get an assurance that the ground would be made available to AIFF on an exclusive basis by February 15, we will be constrained to move the U-17 Academy out of Goa. Please discuss with SAG and confirm the availability of the ground,” the letter concluded.
The AIFF has already appointed Nicolai Adam as the India U-17 coach and agreed to not only pay the rental for the Benaulim ground but also look after the maintenance for three years.
Obviously, lack of cooperation and sporting coordination between the GFA and SAG is at the centre of such a precious situation. To some extent the GFDC could also be in this picture.
