PANAJI
The Goa Football Association (GFA) defended its safety record following the tragic death of footballer Dailon Carvalho, saying attempts to hold the Association solely responsible for the incident ignore the realities of how grassroots football is organised in the state.
In a detailed statement issued on Wednesday, the state football-governing organisation expressed profound grief over Carvalho's death after he collapsed during a match in the 47th Cana-Benaulim Inter-Village Soccer Tournament, while extending condolences to his family, teammates and the football fraternity.
The Association, however, rejected allegations of negligence, maintaining that inter-village tournaments are organised by independent village clubs and local organising committees, with the GFA providing only regulatory oversight, referees, fixtures and disciplinary governance.
"The GFA believes that facts must prevail over emotion," the Association said.
Clarifying its role, the GFA stated that it does not organise, manage or control the day-to-day operational arrangements of every inter-village tournament conducted across the State.
The Association highlighted the scale of football activity in Goa, noting that more than 60 inter-village tournaments are held every season. Last season alone, 64 tournaments featuring 981 matches were organised, while the GFA itself conducted 1,354 official matches across 15 competitions.
The GFA argued that demands for a dedicated advanced life support ambulance at every match were financially impractical.
"Suggestions that the GFA should provide a dedicated ambulance with advanced life support at every football match ignore the practical realities of organising football on such a scale," the statement said.
According to the Association, hiring a private ambulance equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and a trained paramedic would cost between ₹6,000 and ₹8,000 per match, resulting in expenditure of several crores of rupees annually across nearly 2,300 matches.
The GFA also pointed out that Government emergency ambulances are meant to serve the general public and cannot realistically be deployed exclusively for football matches.
Instead, the Association stressed that survival in cases of sudden cardiac arrest depends largely on the quality of the initial response.
"Immediate CPR, prompt use of an AED where indicated, and trained first responders often determine the chances of survival before advanced medical care arrives," it stated.
The GFA said it has already begun work on a comprehensive emergency response framework aimed at strengthening medical preparedness across grassroots football. The initiative will include training club officials, tournament organisers, volunteers and match personnel in emergency response, CPR and AED usage while enhancing coordination with Government agencies and medical professionals.
It also announced that the GFA Medical Committee will conduct First Aid and CPR courses for clubs and organisers in August, while noting that mandatory pre-competition medical tests for players have already been in place for the past two years.
While reaffirming that player welfare remains a top priority, the Association called on all stakeholders to work together instead of assigning blame.
"This is a time for unity, compassion and constructive action—not speculation or misplaced accusations," the GFA concluded..
