TEAM HERALD
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MAPUSA: The Goa Volleyball Association (GVA) will hold fresh selection trials for men and women on January 14 or 15 before the second phase of the volleyball camp begins between January 15-17 to select the Goa team for 3rd Lusofonia Games to be held in Goa from November 2 – 10.
The very fact that fresh selection trials are being called it simply indicates that the first one was more of an eyewash. The first phase of the camp for regular and beach volleyball players was held at Nehru stadium court, Margao and Mira Mar beach respectively for 21 days. It concluded on December 31 with many players not attending it since the GVA did not issue the letters for releasing them.
“We are conducting fresh selections as many players could not report for selections in November due to nationals, mostly junior and not seniors. We are hopeful that more many junior players will report this time,” said Santosh Bandodkar, general secretary, GVA. GVA will shortlist 20 players for regular camp and 10 players for beach volleyball.
However, some senior players were unhappy that the GVA failed to issue letters for attending the camp, especially those working in government offices.
“All players have to report for trials, the probables list will be published and players will be issued letters to their offices within two days of the camp,” ensured Bandodkar, who earlier proved to be a failure in keeping up the promise.
The GVA is intending to start a volleyball league tournament in the end of this month or latest in the first week of February. It may be recalled that the last volleyball league tournament organized by the GVA was in 2009-10 at Ponda. Last year the tournament was held at Loutulim with the final being a flop and still today no trophies being awarded with Crown Club of St Cruz being felt cheated.
There are a few clubs under the GVA that take approvals before hosting an all-Goa tournament. However, the GVA has no grassroots programmes to train the budding players.
“We are currently concentrating on Lusofonia Games preparations. The association lacks proper training facilities to conduct grassroot programmes but the infrastructural development for Lusofonia Games promises a brighter future for the sport and will also allow us to set up grassroots programme,” informed Bandodkar.
With the term of the GVA committee already over nearly three or four years ago, the general body is yet to conduct elections for the new committee.
“We had already issued letters to the general body members in this regard but have got no response. The elections were delayed after the SAG had not released annual grants to the GVA but the grants have now been released and the process to prepare the final accounts is in progress” explained Bandodkar.
Some years ago, the GVA submitted the audited statement of accounts for two years in one go.
Several clubs had in the past complained to both SAG as well as GOA about the non-functioning of the association, that even elections were not held for too long, that the league was not conducted, but both SAG’s Executive Director Elvis Gomes as well as GOA’s secretary Gurudatt Bhakta, surprisingly expressed their helplessness in the matter even when they are aware that volleyball is dying a slow death, except when it comes for fielding the teams either for nationals or Lusofonia Games since the total funding comes from SAG.
It is a pity that the SAG has not even been monitoring the progress of the so-called camps for Lusofonia Games which are totally funded by the Government. There have been no serious and sustained efforts to build up strong teams capable of putting up a decent show at the November Games. Taekwondo apart, there are no great medal hopes for Goa and if the current scenario is any indication, it will be a disaster for the other Goa teams if this trend continues. By this time, the teams ought to have been finalized and they should have been undergoing intensive, regular training under expert guidance at appropriate places where there is proper infrastructure. It is this monitoring aspect that the SAG has failed totally and it appears that what SAG is looking for is just a token participation.
Then, there is the question of outstation players in some disciplines, since some associations indicated they would include players other than from Goa. How many players will be imported and how the camps will be conducted remains to be seen.
