PANJIM: The Goa Football Association (GFA) was awarded the best Member Association at the AIFF Awards Night in Delhi, on Friday. The award was presented by AIFF official to GFA President Caitano Fernandes for organising the most AIFF tournaments in the season 2023-24.
This is another feather in the cap of the GFA president and the executive committee who has performed exceedingly in the last two years since taking over the reins of GFA in 2022.
The GFA hosted the Santosh Trophy group stages at Benaulim, in September 2023, followed by the I-League 3 final round at Tilak Maidan, Vasco, in December 2023, which was won by Sporting Clube de Goa.
In March 2024, the Indian Women’s League 2 group stage was held at the newly refurbished Duler turf followed by the U-17 youth league final round at Utorda and Benaulim and Indian Women’s League 2 final round in Duler, in May 2024.
Speaking to the media Caitano expressed immense happiness that the good work that the GFA has been doing over the last two years has been finally noticed.
“Since I took over, my committee has worked extremely hard to get back the lost glory of football in the State. We have organised 1414 matches across 16 League’s this season involving 6767 players. This is a record in India. There is now a vibrant football ecosystem in Goa with corporates like Geno Pharmaceuticals and VM Salgaocar Corporation starting professional teams in the last two years. This goes to show that corporates have faith in our ability to take football forward in Goa”, he said.
“We have also re laid the Duler artificial turf using the Association’s own funds, decentralised administration by opening offices in Margao and Duler and renovating the Panjim and Margao offices to help clubs and cater to their needs. I would like to thank all our sponsors, the Government of Goa, my executive committee, clubs and well wishers for their continued support to the Association”, he added
“The AIFF Award is a testament to the fact that Goan football is heading in the right direction”, signed off the president.