PANAJI
Speaking to The Goan, Da Costa said: “After being formed, the GFDC embraced a grassroots vision to produce budding footballers. The Council began functioning in June, 2012, as we built grassroots football centres which are now spread from Canacona to Mandrem and from Collem to Mormugao, for boys and girls at the U-10 and U-13 age group levels. The training continues on a day-to-day basis with over 100+ coaches.”
Into its fourth season, the GFDC Rising Stars Inter Centre League was conceptualised to “sharpen the skills and to provide a competitive environment to the promising young footballers”.
“In the first phase, we organized an intra-centre tournament depending on the strength of the centre with the best of each age group advancing to the inter-centre tournament. The centres compete on a home and away basis with the toppers from the inter-centre going on to play at the Zonal level. The toppers of each zone compete again in a similar format and the last two teams standing go on to play at the State Level,” Da Costa said.
“This year at the Zonal level, we invited the FC Goa Grassroots Programme teams to ensure that our boys and girls get to play against the next best in the State. GFDC has to be credited that the teams to play in the three finals on Sunday all hail from GFDC Centres,” he added.
Outlining the growth of the Council over the years as a talent factory for budding footballers, Da Costa said: “We are now four-years-old at GFDC. We have produced budding footballers and we also channelise their growth up to the pre-academic level.
“We have four academies for the boys (North “ Aldona, Sanquelim, South “ Navelim, Seraulim) and two for the girls (North “ Dona Paula, South “ Navelim). Last year, we started a residential academy for U-14 boys in Margao wherein we look after their schooling, lodging, training, etc. They are 30 students all studying at Holy Spirit Institute, Margao. The residential programme comes with a head coach, assistant coach, goalkeeping coach, physio and trainer,” Da Costa stated.
The GFDC Member Secretary highlighted that the teams produced by the Council are proving competitive at the national level. “Last year, at the U-14 Subroto Cup in Delhi, our school side was announced as the Best Disciplined Team and one of our trainees from Mandrem was declared as the Most Promising Star of the Tournament,” Da Costa said.
