Verna: Former India midfielder Micky Fernandes has been elected president of the newly formed Goa State Football Players Association (GSFPA), winning 75 votes in the association’s inaugural elections at Fr Agnel’s Ashram, Verna, on Sunday.
“First of all, I would like to thank the AIFF for the recognition regarding the players, like all the ex-players and players also, and for giving an opportunity to vote. So, I’m very thankful to them. Regarding this, now we have to—what I’m planning is, I’ll sit with all the ex-players and then I’ll think what we have to do next,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes believes the new association can give players a stronger voice in the running of Goan football, criticising a GFA where, he feels, those who have never played the game have too much influence.
“Most of the time, in GFA, I’ll tell you, I’ll be honest with you, these people who are there in GFA, even our president, he has never touched a football, he never played football, so he doesn’t have those ideas. Mostly, all the players are not there. Only, I think, one member, only one member who has played football is there in the GFA. So, there is a reason. There we are lacking. First of all, we are lacking in our association,” he said.
“Now it will be a different story. Now we’ll come inside. So, all the ex-players, like your senior, you know, Brahmanand and everyone, whoever is there, so we’ll decide what we can do better for our Goan football,” Fernandes added.
Of the 128 registered members, 98 cast their votes. Fernandes defeated Levino Anthony Pereira.
Luis Barreto was elected vice-president (male) and Bibiano Fernandes general secretary, both unopposed. Maymol Rocky won the vice-president (female) post with 67 votes, while Ramona D’Souza was elected treasurer with 50 votes, finishing ahead of Ricardo Xavier Jose Cardozo, who received 42.
Rocky’s 65 votes for the GFA representative post came alongside her 67 votes for vice-president (female).
The formation of the GSFPA follows an initiative by the GFA under Article 20.3.2 of the AIFF Constitution, in line with the provisions of the National Sports Governance Act.
