Govt splurging taxpayers’ money with no benefit to footballers: Elvis Gomes

The incumbent Goa Football Association (GFA) President, Elvis Gomes recently completed four years on the hot seat. In an extensive interview with The Goan, the GFA top boss spoke on his major achievements during his tenure, his issues against the local government for the betterment of the State declared sport and efforts to topple him from the pedestal. Following are the excerpts from the tête-à-tête

The Goan: You have completed four years in office. What are the highlights?   

Elvis Gomes: The achievements have been many. Apart from the positive changes in the administrative set-up, we have done a lot of work on the ground level. Practically every player now has a permanent registration number and here on after, there would be no writing of manual cards. There is also an introduction of hologram security features to prevent impersonation on the field. Besides that, at the GFA Duler ground, it has been my solo effort to get the floodlights, the generator set and complete renovation of the dormitory and the conference room to the extent of making it usable. I saw that all the 1000-odd league matches in the year are held without any compromise. The introduction of the Women’s League was the icing on the cake.  

TG: After a four-year term, do you want to seek another term as the president?

EG: Let the process of election unroll. I had indicated that I would not be there, but there has been a change in circumstances. As such, I do not rule myself out. We have gone for the amendment of the constitution. We are the first State in the country to incorporate the provisions of the National Sports Development Code 2011 based on which the AIFF Election Executive Committee was set aside. Everybody appreciated it.   

TG: Coming to Churchill, he stated that you overstayed your tenure as GFA President. What have you to say to that? 

EG: One Churchill saying that makes no difference. Churchill coming on the eve of the Annual General Board Meeting and making the statement does not hold vote. This said, for the simple reason the next day’s event at the AGM proved that I was vindicated. By the implementation of the National Sports Development Code, it was seen by the members as a requirement which serves the interest of the federation fraternity at large and not for personal interest. If the government and AIFF want it that way, we might as well do it.

TG: What are these things that the ruling dispensation at GFA need to put in place?

EG: Now that we have already amended the constitution, we have to bring out the final copy and unroll the election process. The main changes are that the incumbent on the post should demit office at 70 years and that a president cannot run office for more than three consecutive terms, the general secretary or treasurer cannot hold office for more than two consecutive terms. Therefore it will give a wider playing field to others to come in. I think it is more democratic and that a good thing has been done.   

TG: What do you foresee as the needs of GFA to improve upon? 

EG: It is an ecosystem where the State government is also a major stakeholder. The government has always acted hostile in the last four years by using the taxpayers’ money for the wrong purposes. I had demanded from the Chief Minister a grant of at least 2 lakh to be given to each of the clubs. They need some assistance; they are the people who do the development at the grassroots level and the government does nothing. You call yourself a State that has declared football as a State sport; I find absolutely no sense in that. Apart from that, the government has done nothing for football besides giving a political entity a chair and putting money on that. How does it make any sense? You have to integrate it by helping in the creation of players at the grassroots level through clubs. Who is recognised in this system? FIFA recognises the federation, the federation recognises the association and the association recognises the clubs. These are the essential ingredients of the whole system. I have demanded that the government has to help the clubs.