Confident of getting govt support despite latter having backed rival faction in GCA elections
PANAJI
Newly elected Goa Cricket Association (GCA) President Mahesh Desai, only the second Goa Ranji player to be elected to the top post, has set his priorities clear -- construction of the long pending international cricket stadium and intensive grassroot training to widen Goa's pool of cricketers.
“An international cricket stadium in Goa is the need of the hour. Our main priority will be to build a cricket stadium within the next three years. Foundation stone will be laid soon. All clubs will take a decision with regards to venue,” Desai said.
Asked if he saw any difficulty in getting the all-important support from the current BJP government given that the rival Rohan Gauns Desai panel was backed by it, Desai said: "Government support is absolutely necessary. I don't see any difficulty. Elections are a different matter. I am confident the government will support the construction of the stadium."
On the controversy surrounding the issue of location for the stadium -- Dhargalim or Maulinguem -- the latter being proposed by BJP's Mayem MLA, Premendra Shet, he said that the cricket clubs which form the general body of the GCA will decide the matter.
"The general body is supreme. A feasible decision will be taken," Desai said, adding that most are in favour of the Dhargal site already in possession of the GCA.
Desai is the second Ranji player to be elected as GCA President after Vijay Chowghule who skippered the first Goa Ranji Trophy team in the 1980s.
He played Ranji cricket for Goa during 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons and had also been a match observer for India’s T20 match against New Zealand at New Delhi in 2017.
His win was a matter of prestige for Chetan Desai's panel since he had lost the last elections in 2022 by just three votes. However, this time around he got 62 of the 107 votes to secure a comfortable victory over Mahesh Candolkar.
Being a former cricketer himself, Desai said: “I have struggled a lot in my career to reach the level of a Ranji cricketer. So, I know what struggles a cricketer has to go through. Our aim will to be provide excellent training facilities to all the budding cricketers of Goa.”
Grass-root level development and infrastructure creation will be another priority for the newly elected panel, he said.
“Another priority would be to increase the bench strength of our team. We would be scouting talent from villages across Goa - 60 players each from North Goa and South Goa – and provide them training free of cost for at least a year. This will help us increase our talent pool and develop better cricketers in Goa,” Desai said.
“Also, we would like to create better cricketing infrastructure in all villages of Goa.”
Commencing the Goa Premier League similar on the lines of Indian Premier League is also on Desai's agenda he said, while pointing out that cricket has now become as popular as football although the latter is the 'state sport'.
