PANAJI
The decline of Goan football in recent years has sparked debates around a crucial question: Is there an abundance of opportunities but a lack of quality? This question has been raised in football circles as the state continues to grapple with its football challenges.
The “plenty” in question revolves around the numerous coaching programmes run by organisations such as the Goa Football Development Council (GFDC), Sports Authority of Goa (SAG), Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs (DSYA), Goa Football Association (GFA), and recently, Khelo India.
GFDC has around 80 coaches across 39 centres in Goa, including goalkeeper coaches. SAG has nearly 20 coaches, DSYA two, and Khelo India had two SAG coaches at its Fatorda centre, which closed a year ago due to low attendance.
The closure of the Khelo India centre is often cited as a symptom of this “plenty” – despite having multiple coaching options, young players preferred other training venues. The centre shut down for lack of trainees, proving that the abundance of choices was not translating into quality engagement.
This surplus of coaching academies and futsal centres raises an important question: Why are Goan footballers not making an impact at the national level?
Former India captain Brahmanand Shanwalkar attributes the decline to the withdrawal of major clubs like Dempo SC, Salgaocar, and Sporting Clube de Goa from the I-League. He argues that the lack of clear career pathways for young players is a major reason for the drop in quality. “Many top players didn’t take risks, their first focus was, what’s my future going to be?” he explains.
A physical education teacher suggests that former international players, many of whom struggle to make ends meet, should be offered jobs to nurture young talent. “Some are managing to run academies, but setting one up needs finance. They carry on out of love for the game and to feed their families,” he adds.
Shanwalkar also points out that, while youth football is growing, few players take the sport up seriously after school. “Our grassroots football is growing, but few take up football after finishing their studies,” he says, noting the disconnect between early development and long-term commitment.
In conclusion, Goan football is awash with opportunities, but this surplus of programmes is failing to produce quality players for the national stage.
