Goa FA writes letter to FIFA president Infantino ahead of his India visit!

Dear Sir,

Sub: Proposed Road Map for football India which will lead to forced demotion of I League teams.

GREETINGS AND A WARM WELCOME TO THE STATE OF GOA

We request reference to the representation dated 11th August, 2016, from one of our constituent clubs, Sporting Clube de Goa,addressed to you and copied to Goa Football Association and endorse the views and concerns expressed therein.

The Executive Committee in it’s meeting held on 24/9/2016 has decided to support the principled stand taken by Sporting Clube de Goa and Salgaocar Football Club, which has also been endorsed by the third Goan I League Club Dempo Sports Club.

We would like to enlighten you with a few aspects of the Goan Football story:

1. Goa is known as the land of FISH, FENI (a local brew) and FOOTBALL.

2. Football was introduced in Goa by Fr. William Lyons in 1883 nearly two years before it was introduced in Brazil in 1885 by an Englishman named Charles Miller.

3. Goa Football Association was founded in 1959 and has 192 clubs affiliated to it.

4. GFA had at the end of last season 5561 players registered and conducted 1024 matches, (not counting the Inter-village tournament matches), spread over the various competitions organized during the season.

5. At one point in time Goa had 6 teams playing in the country’s top league namely, Salgoacar F.C., Dempo S.C., Churchill Brothers F.C., Vasco Sports Club, Fransa Football Club and Sporting Clube de Goa.

6. Of the above, three teams bowed out or were forced to bow out. Vasco Sports Club were relegated, Fransa Football Club withdrew due to the apathetical attitude of AIFF and a year back Churchill Brothers fell victim to the stringent Club Licensing norms implemented by AIFF without first putting their own house in order.

7. Goa has a vibrant football culture. Around 80 Inter-Village tournaments are organized by the village football clubs which involves the conduct of nearly 1200 football matches, under the overall supervision of GFA.

8. Goan teams have dominated the Indian Football scene in last few decades. Since inception of the country wide top league, NFL in 1996 and I League in 2007, Goan teams have won the title 9 times, which is almost 50 %. Goa, having a population of 0.2% of India, has contributed 68 players to the Senior Indian National Team, which is about 13% of the total.

9. Goa is the only Indian state where football has been declared as the State Sport by the local government.

10. Grassroots football development is given the utmost importance in Goa. Besides the regular grassroots program carried out by the Clubs, the local government has set up the Goa Football Development Council to carryout grass roots football development, especially in the far flung non-urban areas of the state.

We fully endorse the opinion of the clubs that the proposed road map if implemented by AIFF, will lead to the demise of long standing I-League teams from Goa and result in disastrous consequences for Goan Football.
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Money flow into the system will be depleted. There will be lack of opportunities for players. Worst of all, young aspiring footballers, now being groomed at the grassroots and youth development level will suddenly find that the pathways to progress are limited or no longer exist.

Football has forged Goan Pride, especially with Goan teams being the front runners in Indian football. Football is the common denominator which stands out as one of the prime factors that has made Goa a paradise of peace and communal harmony, which is the envy of the rest of the country. All this will be at risk if the proposed roadmap is implemented.

Therefore on behalf of the Clubs, the Executive Committee seeks your appointment in Goa to request you to ensure that AIFF upholds the principles enshrined in the FIFA statutes while making any changes in the existing football structure in India.

Thanking you,
Yours sincerely