Team Herald
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PANJIM: Goa’s International Woman Referee Maria Rebello was denied permission to officiate at the AFC U-19 Women’s Championship, Asian qualifiers to be held from October 20 to 28, at Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.
Even before she could come to terms over the shocking news of her mother’s death in Goa while she was in Bhutan on an official engagement, came the double blow after she received a memorandum issued by Satyavan Talwadkar Director Admin. Sports Authority of Goa, accusing her of ‘focusing on her refereeing career instead of using her talent in the field of coaching and improving her coaching abilities’.
Maria has often been in the news as being the first Goan woman to have got international recognition for her abilities as a referee and has often been drafted by the AFC for international duties as a referee and match commissioner.
The memorandum acknowledges the contribution of Maria in bringing laurels to the state but in the same vein says that it has resulted in negligence of duties though she is getting paid by SAG as a football coach.
The memorandum further adds that the competent authority has decided to discourage her from refereeing/umpiring/ officiating and has told her to do only coaching and bring laurels to the State by producing medal winning sports persons in the State for the payment received by her.
GFA President Elvis Gomes while speaking expressed his sympathies with Maria on behalf of the GFA over her bereavement.
“This is not the time to say anything. She is grieving over the loss of her mother”, he said.
