PANJIM: The Goa Football Association (GFA) will set up the Khelo India Football Centre (KIC) at Fatorda, Margao, disclosed Churchill Alemao, GFA president.
Alemao stated that the South Goa Khelo India District Centre has been allotted to GFA at the directive of present Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and former Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Sports Minister Babu Ajgaocar, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Department of Sports-Mission Directorate- Govt.of India, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa; Sports Authority of Goa (SAG). The North Goa Centre will be for hockey to be managed by Goa Hockey Association.
The Khelo India Centre, Goa will start functioning soon at the Fatorda astro turf with the assistance of SAG and will cater to 30 regular trainees to be coached by qualified coaches under the Khelo India Centre guidelines and approved pattern of assistance, stated Alemao.
Churchill reasoned out that since the GFA has already launched the Grassroots Programme, It was essential to lay a strong foundation with the grassroots being Children’s football and the most important basic component for the development of football pyramid so that Goa can look for elite club players who will eventually make it to big clubs and from these clubs finally grow as State and National footballers.
Pointing out that the programme is a multi-layered strategic initiative aimed at enabling boys and girls between 6 to 12 years, it aims to develop their skills and talent. The GFA will now be focussing also in promoting grassroots football and implementing a well-designed strategy. It is aligned with the FIFA as well as AIFF ideology, added Churchill.
“The children at the Fatorda Centre will play regularly in a safe and inclusive environment which will involve besides young players, parents, school teachers, coaches, NGOs. We need to develop a new generation of young footballers, first for our football-crazy Goa and this will help them to shine for India at the world level”, stressed Alemao.
Alemao reiterated that the need for GFA is to restress on the need to focus on grassroots development in order to make Goa a greater force to reckon with. We need to have more good and high quality and better players, with our age-group players participating in competitions on regular basis.
The curriculum, syllabus and the methodology will be finalised by the Committee with inputs from the Physical Education Teachers and qualified GFA- AIFF coaches so that the GFA will have the relevant manuals to be implemented.
“Gradually, the GFA intends setting up a scouting initiative with local scouting committee which will identify promising talents, aged 12 or under.,” stated Churchill
