NIRAJ PRABHU
PANAJI
Sporting Clube de Goa president, Peter Vaz believes his boys have the wherewithal to lift the AIFF U-18 Youth I-League. “We are not just participating, we are competing,” asserted Vaz as he arrived for the press briefing to present the squad before the Flaming Oranje colts leave for Shillong on Sunday. The Youth League final round will be held from May 16-26 in Meghalaya.
“It is a momentous occasion as our Under-18 team will represent us at the Youth I-League after qualifying from Goa. It has been quite a journey for Sporting Clube de Goa as we are now focussing on promoting the Goan talents. Barring one player in the U-18 outfit, we have all local players in this squad,” said Vaz.
Vaz is happy and proud that Rowllin Borges, who was scouted by and played for SCG for around 10 years, is one of the regulars with India football team. And with such pedigree, Sporting Clube’s focus and Vaz’s belief in Goan talent, remains intact as for the last three years, SCG have been winning the Taca Goa U-20 title.
Vaz pepped up the U-18 squad, with this message: “Remember boys, we are the first team from Goa to have won U-19 I-League (2010) that too on the ‘maidan’ of Mohun Bagan... You are now carrying the aspirations of the Goans. This comes at a crucial time when there is less Goan representation in the senior team. Being the budding stars, you have talent, hence you are in the Sporting Clube de Goa team. It is up to you boys to keep the flag of Goa, flying high.”
Vaz is delighted with a successful season this year with the Sporting Clube de Goa first-team winning GFA Pro-League and Police Cup; and now Models lifting the women’s title at 1st CRC Women’s Football Cup at Chinchinim. Now comes the time for Sporting Clube to pit their youngsters against the best in the country, with the Panaji-based club believing that their U-18 players scouted from various parts of Goa and coming through grassroots under-14 programme, are good enough to become the potential India players in future by clinching the youth I-League title.
While there has never been any doubt on Sporting Clube’s talent base, one boy who has been reckoned as the first-team material, has been promptly tied down by the Goan league champions. Vaz presented the first-team jersey to promising Under-18 striker Stendly Fernandes, who has signed his first professional contract with the Flaming Oranje. According to Sporting Clube CEO Victor Fernandes, Stendly’s signature was sought by many clubs after he came close to making it to India U-17 World Cup squad and earned a scholarship from Reliance Foundation.
Meanwhile, Vaz has revealed that he will be ready to reclaim the club’s place in the Indian top-flight competition only if I-League and ISL are merged into one premier unified league for the country. And to do that he is ready to wait till 2020 when AIFF is expected to announce the decision on the league.
