armstrongvazblogsfromgoa

Goan football gone, going…….. down the drain By Armstrong Vaz Goan football is heading towards turbulent times. The alarm bells were ringing for long. The intensity has increased and reached its peak. Wilred Leisure has opened the floodgates of what is forecasted to be a tsunami. Wilred’s pulling out from the ten-team Goa Professional League (GPL), which is due to start in August, is one of the first major setback for the new Executive Committee of Goa Football Association (GFA), which took charge on July 27. The club pulled a fast one on GFA.  The company-sponsored club has a past, which no one likes to have against its name – match-fixing.   In 2004, Curtorim Gymkhana, Sangolda Lighting Club, Wilred Leisure and Dona Paula SC brought shame to Indian and Goan football by fixing matches. Two matches played, one in South Goa and the other in North of the state, saw an astonishing 118 goals being scored, in the play-off matches of the second division. ...

Goa’s Melroy Fernandes on trail for Casa de Portugal Macau football club By Armstrong Vaz Career opportunities sometimes spring up from out of the blue and from the most unlikely places. That’s what is happening to 20-year-old Melroy Fernandes. The promising Goa junior goalkeeper is in Macau is on a two-month visit to train with Casa de Portugal, Macau football club. ‘ The Dramapur-village boy, from South Goa, has been with Churchill bros, the former I-league champions, since last season and has had been an understudy to two other goalkeepers. But all that has changed this season for Melroy. Instead of sunny shores of Goa he is now burning calories on the football fields in Macau. He is getting ready to play in exhibition matches called Bolinha, which takes place when the Divisao 1 (first division) takes a break. If things go according to a plan and if the club is happy about his performance in the Bolinha then Melroy may end up signing for the club next season. The Bolinh...

Franky Baretto, Saby Antao in race for coaching posts at GFDC By Armstrong Vaz Former international and East Bengal defender, Franky Baretto and former junior international and Mahindra United player, Saby Antao, are some of the notable candidates who have applied for the paid posts at the newly formed Goa Football Development Council (GFDC). Goa Football Development Council which was recently constituted by the state government, with its office at 7th Floor, 'Myles High' Building, Patto Plaza, Panaji, is “to advise the Government on all matters concerning the sport of football  and to coordinate and harmoniously complement the activities of the AIFF (All India Football Federation) the GFA (Goa football Assocaition), the SAG (Sports Authority of Goa), local governing bodies such as municipalities, Zilla Parishads and Panchayats, organizations promoting Football and other Government authorities and Departments.” Panjim-based cardiologist Rufino Monteiro has been appoi...

Indian Arrows on right target says Bulpin Margao: India’s football youth development programme is moving in the right direction and the formation of the Indian Arrows I-League team has turned out to be a ‘big step in the right direction’ says Desmond Bulpin, the English coach of the cricket crazy country. “I congratulate All India Football Federation (AIFF) President (Praful Patel), Bob Houghton for initiating the brilliant idea of having a team of Under-21 players together and playing them in the I-League,” said Bulpin. The Indian Arrows were founded in the summer of 2010 as the AIFF XI and took over the place of disbanded Mahindra United in the 14 team Indian I-League. “Look at my squad. It is almost readymade. Isn’t it?” Bulpin questioned. “The beauty of the squad stays that most of the boys – ten out of my registered eighteen are from  Indian   Arrows . It’s been served on a platter,” he adds. But a lot of things need to be done on the youth development front. “I am...