PANAJI
Five years down the line, Elvis is GFA president and not even in talking terms with Dr Monteiro. More importantly, Goa finds itself in a spot of bother regarding the downfall of the official state sport, with the recent FIFA U-17 World Cup holding the mirror for a gloomy picture wherein none of the state boys were found good enough to be in
India squad.
The grassroots is divided with all stakeholders pulling in different directions. It is absolutely necessary that the biggest entities in the Goan football arena, end their differences and rise up as one.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar stressed on the fact that politics needs to be kept out while working in an organisation. "One should be able to agree to disagree," was his advise to the gathering at the Vedanta-GFA Women's Football League launch. A situation wherein one cannot even be in talking terms with another due to some disagreement, is a terrible way of handling any public responsibility.
Elvis feels Parrikar is aware of the issues between GFA and GFDC. "I was the one he entrusted back then to create what came up to be known as GFDC... Nevertheless, I am going to meet him and try to sort out the issues. On GFDC's part, I feel they should not impinge on GFA's jurisdiction. They should use the resources judiciously; develop players till an age of 16 and then allow them to go to clubs free of cost," the former Executive Director of SAG told
‘The Goan'.
GFDC chairman Dr Monteiro says categorically that he has no "concrete issue" due to which the tussle with GFA developed. "I am ready for talks to end this bitterness. We need to work together," says the Panaji-based Cardiologist as he agrees that the state has a gigantic task of lifting the standard of the game in the state and that cannot be achieved by going
separate ways.
While November 6 marks the beginning of a new chapter in women's football drawing inspiration from the triumph of 1977, the idea of ‘synergising' the efforts of GFA and GFDC needs to be considered seriously today rather than both continuing to jeopardise the future of young footballers in particular.
