Goan powerhouses to join 4 visiting teams to open Goan football season
the goan I network
Panaji
Goan powerhouses Salgaocar FC and Dempo Sports Club along with four visiting teams will play in the 12-team AWES Cup football tournament from September 1-17 at Duler stadium in Mapusa.
Sporting Clube de Goa, FC Goa developmental squad, FC Bardez, Vasco SC, Dempo Jrs and Calangute Association, are the other local outfits in action.The four outstation teams include FC Pune City (ISL developmental squad), Gokulam FC (I-League hopefuls from Kerala), Viva Chennai and ONGC. The season-opening tournament has been organised by the Association for the Wellbeing of Elder Sportspersons (AWES) in their bid to raise funds to look after the former footballers in monetary need now. The competition has been supported by the Goa Football Association along with other sponsors like Dempo, Salgaocar, Sporting Clube de Goa, FC Goa and HDFC Bank. However, there are no tickets for the public to enter the stadium.
Although the date-wise fixtures are yet to be drawn, the group draw was held on Monday. Teams have been divided into four groups. Top team from each of the groups, will qualify for the semi-finals. The winners will be awarded Rs 2 lakh while the runners-up will be richer by Rs 1 lakh.
AWES president Avertano Furtado was supposed to brief the media in Panaji, but could not attend due to fever. His message was communicated as: "AWES is a recently-formed organisation that took shape with the sole aim of providing our former greats with a life of dignity particularly in their twilight years. They have done the state proud and it is our responsibility to ensure their wellbeing."
Vice-president Vinod Parkkot addressed the press, saying:"Since formation early this year, AWES organised a get-together of great footballers in May and we were encouraged with the overwhelming response. Our next aim is to raise funds for our organisation so that we have money and resources to look after them when they require."
AWES Secretary Jonathan De Sousa is thankful that GFA backed the idea of having AWES Cup as the season-opening event at its Duler stadium. "We get a good crowd here during this period of time before the tourist season begins. We are grateful to GFA for supporting us. We plan to have the AWES Cup as the annual season-opener with more teams in the fray next year," he said. "We are more than happy to support initiatives like this. Former players who have done the state and country proud cannot be forgotten after they have retired. The GFA wishes AWES all success," said GFA secretary Welvin
Menezes.
