TAKES NOTE OF THEIR LATE ARRIVAL AT WORK, CALLS FOR SUSPENSION; RUES STATE OF FATORDA SPORTS COMPLEX
MARGAO
Sports Minister Govind Gaude’s surprise visit to the Sports Authority of Goa’s Fatorda complex, including the International Nehru stadium, earlier Tuesday morning brought to the fore poor maintenance of the sports equipment, coaches not maintaining punctuality, swimming pool in need of renovation, Nehru stadium’s blown off roof sheets, garbage and litter et al.
A visibly upset Gaude issued strict directions to the Sports higher-ups to place under suspension the coaches, who have been reporting late to work. Gaude descended on the SAG complex around 7 in the morning, but a couple of coaches were yet to report to work.
He gave 48 hours deadline to the sports authorities to clear the garbage from the SAG complex, demanding to know whether a minister should visit the place to issue instructions to the staff to maintain cleanliness in the area. The waste was cleared around noon.
“I have issued orders to the Sports officials to place under suspension the coaches who have been reporting late for work. When the students report for workouts on time, I fail to understand why the coaches do not maintain punctuality,” he asserted.
“I have come across various flaws in the Fatorda Sports Complex. This does not augur well for the creation of a healthy sports environment. Cleanliness is important, but this place is shabby. We have proper infrastructure, but there’s no maintenance. Everything seems to be in bad shape,” he said.
Gawde, who also visited the multipurpose stadium, housing the badminton court, stressed the need to ensure proper ventilation in the complex.
Saying he had a meeting with sports officials after assuming office, Gaude said he has told the officials to prepare a roadmap to take sports to greater heights. “I have unveiled my plans to the officials and have given them 15 days time to prepare the roadmap, prepare the supplementary budget to tone up the sports infrastructure before I seek funds from the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant,” he added.
The Sports Minister has appealed to the people of Goa to send in their suggestions to him in order to prepare the roadmap to take sports forward.
Saying that Goa has big sports infrastructure in place, he said the problem lies with maintenance, promising to channelise the taxpayers’ money in the right direction.
