TEAM HERALD
MAPUSA: Due to the recent media outbursts at the BJP-lead government for proposing to send a football delegation to Brazil which painted all previous delegations with the same brush and equated them as junket, Goa Motor Sport Association (GMSA) today clarified their stand over Goa MX delegations visit to the United Kingdom in 2012.
It may be recalled that Gomes Sports Academy (GSA) were given the rights by the National Federation to host the National MX Championship in Goa, in 2011 for which a Goa government led delegation by Labour and Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, MLA Glen Ticlo, MLA Benjamin Silva and Ashley Gomes, president of GMSA had witnessed the MXGP Festival’s FIM Motocross World Championship on August 19, 2012, at Matterley Basin in Winchester City, London.
Although nothing really happened in the past years, Ashley feels the sport of MX has progressed by leaps and bounds.
“We have worked out the modalities and other details, and after several discussions with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, we have placed our final proposal before the Government to launch the MX Championship in November 2014, with round two in December followed by final round in January, 2015,” informed Goa Motor Sport Association (GMSA) President Ashley Gomes at a press conference in a city hotel, in Panjim, on Thursday.
He also mentioned that only the hotel stay and flight tickets were paid by the Government during their visit to London.
The Sports Authority of Goa is expected to declare the good news of the restart of MX in Goa by the first half of July as the championship needs to be declared at least four months in advance so the riders and teams can prepare for the same, but unfortunately MX was mistakenly equated as a junket.
“Yes, Goa is headed in the right direction and fans dream to witness the FIM Motocross World Championship live in India, will soon come true,” said Ashley.
The GSA will only organize the mega event while other aspects such as advertising, ticketing, television rights is said to be under the control of the Goa government.
