CHARLES D’SOUZA
MARGAO
Former Agassaim Youth Club player Anthony Pango, who is contesting for the post of the vice-president in the Goa Football Association elections, is looking to use the experience he has gained on and off the football field to bring meaningful change in the way the beautiful game is administered and developed in the State.
The Raia-born Pango has a clear agenda in his mind when it comes to taking the Goan football agenda forward -- ‘Catch them young and develop them’.
“We need to look at football in far-flung areas where there are no football coaches, no proper facilities in the form of grounds, but the hunger to succeed against all odds is clearly visible. We need to focus on these areas. I have identified certain areas and will work with like-minded people of the areas to take the game forward in these areas,” said Pango, who served two terms as executive committee member from Salcete zone of the State’s football governing body.
Pango, having served as deputy chairman of Youth Development Committee of GFA knows the difficulties faced by clubs in getting the football development programme going in different villages. In that role, he organised various GFA league matches at Panchayat ground, Raia and also organised age groups tournaments for Goa Professional League clubs.
Pango says he enjoys the support of clubs, having done “his best” during the last couple of terms that he was the member of GFA. “The clubs know about my dedication and devotion and the work I have done during my time as a GFA Executive committee,” Pango stated.
Pango, incidentally, was instrumental in bringing Raia Sporting Club to the Professional League from Second Division League. He also served as the chef de mission of Goa Santosh Trophy squad, which won the Santosh Trophy in Chennai and Kochi, respectively. He was the manager of Goa Santosh Trophy squad which finished runners-up to Bengal, which the State hosted.
Pango’s other big priority is to tweak the administration. “My first priority is to revamp the administration and setting up the feeder office at Margao so as to make it convenient for the South Goa clubs as they have to go to Panaji for all the administrative related issues of the clubs,” said Pango. He also has the referees’ interests in mind. “We need to enhance the remuneration of age group referees,” he said.
Pango also intends to make clubs familiar with the various schemes of the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG).
“We need to use the good office of SAG in creating awareness about the schemes for the clubs and also to take the SAG officials to meet the club officials to apprise them about the schemes offered by the government from time to time for clubs,” Pango said.
