PANAJI: When Dempo Sports Club secretary-cum-head coach Armando Colaco speaks out his mind, he makes sense.
On Monday, Armando seemed aggrieved by a specific clause laid down in the GFA’s ‘procedure for conducting elections’, which was circulated to clubs, recently.
Item 6 (b), which specifies about the criteria for eligibility to contest elections to the Executive Committee, mentions that those contestants who have ceased to be an active referee or active player or active coach registered with the Association at least twelve months prior to the date of elections, shall be permitted to contest the same.
However, Armando argues that there is nothing mentioned regarding managers of the clubs, who he feels should also be bracketed along side, referees, coaches and players and those found to be active should be barred from contesting elections.
“I am shocked and surprised that the GFA has not allowed active referee, active player and active coach registered with the association to contest the forthcoming GFA elections.
“At the same time, the GFA has put no bar on active club managers, allowing them a free ride to contest the elections for the executive committee post,” the Dempo coach cum secretary queried, but sought to know the reality from GFA. Armando justifies, saying, there are a few candidates in fray for the GFA’s October elections who are presently holding the posts of managers of top Goan clubs and the GFA has conveniently kept up the ‘active managers’ clause out of the election eligibility criteria so as to favour these candidates.
“This is not justified in a democratic set up and therefore I question the GFA’s rationale as far as framing this rule of permitting club managers to contest the elections is concerned, while keeping away the active referees, players and coaches from contesting GFA elections,” Armando pointed out while speaking to
‘The Navhind Times’.
“I reiterate that in a democratic set up the GFA should allow everybody to contest or not permit anybody to contest. If the executive committee does not allow active referee, active player or the active coach to contest the GFA elections, then they must also not allow active managers of the club to contest the elections. This is an important issue and the GFA must take note of it,” Armando summed up. In fact, Armando said he will write a letter to the GFA about the eligibility criteria, specifically pointing out to them the Item 6 (b) to which he seriously took an exception and wanted the GFA to prevent managers of clubs from
contesting elections.
