GFA investigation into AFC red flag , leaves secretary Jovito Lopes in the red

 

The AFC highlighted six matches of the Goa football Association (GFA) Professional League and the investigation carried out thereafter by GFA has started to leave stains of how badly the GFA secretariat is being run by secretary Jovito Lopes.

 The first flaw in the investigation is evident in GFA”s official Note signed by Jovito and circulated to the Executive Committee members on 3/8/2020 wherein he starts stating:

 “It was on 08.03.2020 at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Margao that our Vice president, Mr. Anthony Pango brought to the notice of GFA Secretary Mr. Jovito Lopes that there was one person in the Stadium's West Zone who was constantly on mobile, mobiles relaying the commentary of the match in progress Hero l-League match No.B6 – Churchill Brothers FC v/s Kerala FC.

 The AFC report was about six matches that took place in the months of November and December 2019 and had no bearing with the AIFF match held on 8/3/2020.

 The note further states: “Further, Mr. Lopes visited the Panjim Police Station as there were rumors that a complaint on match fixing was lodged by a Panjim-based football club. After meeting with two Sub lnspectors and the Head Constable it was ascertained that no such complaint on match fixing was lodged.

 Had there been a rumour would it have been the duty of the General Secretary to first get a written clarification from the club?

 The note lastly states: Further, our investigations also revealed that the contracts of a couple of players of a football club were terminated on alleged suspicion.

 The modus of the investigation that revealed that contract of some players contract was terminated on alleged suspicion is not revealed. The contracts may have been terminated but alleging suspicion on match fixing without proof?

 The last paragraph of the note throws most light on how seriously the GFA secretary took the matter: “We have written to the AIFF lntegrity Officer Mr. Joved Siraj on 09.03.2020 and provided our

report on the investigation carried at our end. We received the AIFF Report on 05.03.2020.

We replied on 06.03.2020. We carried the investigations and gave the report of our investigation on 09.03. 2020.”

 GFA completed an investigation on a matter red flagged by AFC in three days after having received the AIFF report on 5/3/2020.

 Interestingly , Jovito in his confidential letter to AIFF Integrity Officer Javed Siraj zeroes on one Gabriel Fernandes  and goes on to claim that the Genius Group that received accreditation from AIFF was allegedly linked to a betting company in the United kingdom and that AIFF needed to sort their accreditation process.

 Information accessed by Goalfest proves that the GFA has a contract with Genius Group  signed by the secretary himself.

 It is clear that the GFA secretary did no investigation into the  six matches red flagged by AFC and one of the reasons for that could have been because none of the six results raised any suspicion of manipulation to all those aware of football in Goa. The same could have easily been put in words instead of going through a farce of investigating a match that had no connection to the matches’ red flagged by AFC.

 Mishandling of the investigation and Jovito’s inability to reply to written queries from the Executive Committee members has widened the division and this is eroding the yeoman service done by GFA President to football for the last so many years.

 

 

 

 

ISL shortlists five practice grounds in North and South Goa

 

A Single window clearance by Government of Goa to Indian Super League (ISL) helped nudge Kerala to stage ISL 7 of season 2020-2021. “Goa was quick. The three grounds in Goa and most of the practice grounds are handled by SAG unlike in Kerala where not all grounds belonged to the government,” disclosed an ISL source on condition of anonymity.

Goa and Kerala were shortlisted to stage ISL 7 and despite the accolades won by the latter in handling the Pandemic, the former were also zeroed in because of the proximity of infrastructure to stage the event for the ten participating teams from November 23, 2020 to March 20, 2021.

“The three stadiums, the practice grounds for the ten teams, the hotels and the medical facilities are in close proximity to each other. That’s one of the beauties of Goa being small,” stated the source.

Nehru stadium in Fatorda , Tilak maidan in Vasco and Athletic stadium in Bambolim will be the three grounds used whilst ten grounds – from sixteen suggested by Sports Authority of Goa (SAG)- will be assigned to each team as practice grounds.

The three grounds selected to host the matches have all been used for international and national matches in the past and except for Tilak maidan in Vasco, ISL intends to augment the flood lights and drainage at the grounds.

“Five teams are going to be based in the South and five in the North. The organisers have asked for five grounds in both the places. The Vaddi ground in Benaulim and our grounds in Utorda , Betalbatim and Navelim are going to be used as practice grounds. The Nagoa ground- which belongs to the Panchayat- is being organised for them too,” stated Mahesh Revankar , secretary of stadiums with SAG.

“ The Poriat ground in Calnagute, the Gustavo Monteiro ground in Candolim , the ground in Peddem Sports Complex , the ground in Morjim and the ground in Parra have been shortlisted for the teams staying in the North,” added Mahesh.

“The organisers will need to work on the floodlights of the three main grounds,” informed Mahesh who negotiated with ISL on behalf of the government.

 “The organisers wanted only grass grounds.  The grounds belonging to Dempo SC and Sesa Football Academy (SFA) could not be utilised as they are needed for the boys from their Academy,” stated Mahesh.

“The ISL team will be visiting Goa in the first week of September to take possession of all grounds. They want to handover the practice grounds to all teams by September 25,” stated Mahesh.

 

Churchill Alemao on verge of inking Rs 95 lakh sponsorship deal for 3 seasons with Accord Sports

 Goa Football Association (GFA) President Churchill Alemao is on the verge of inking a sponsorship deal with Accord Sports  of Rs 95 lakhs to be sponsors  of the Goa Professional league (GPL) and all tournaments organised by the association from the 2020 to 2023 season.

“I have asked the secretary to send a note to the clubs today. Once the Executive Committee agrees to the deal, the agreement will be signed. It will happen soon,” said Churchill Alemao.

“Please find two documents from Accord Sports Inc for the sponsorship of the GPL. Sponsorship initially is for Rs 25 lakhs for 2020-2021 season, Rs 30 lakhs for 2021-2022 season and Rs 40 lakhs for 2022-2023 season (three years) “reads the note of GFA secretary to the Executive Committee members and presidents and secretaries of clubs affiliated to GFA.

The GFA, according to documents perused by oHeraldo, had received official written intimation of their interest to be associated from March 8, 2020. However, on August 4, 2020, Accord sports Inc revised the previous offer submitted to GFA and placed an offer of Rs 95 lakhs spread over three seasons.

“We shall pay the following amount for sole and Exclusive rights for GPL including Television-satellite/cable etc Digital, Advertising, outside stadia billboards etc, Merchandising, Fan Zone, Move Hall Screening and any other form of branding and advertising,” reads the offer from Accord Sports Inc to GFA.

“The mode of payment will be Rs 5 lakhs along with signing of agreement, Rs 5 lakhs before commencement of GPL, another Rs 5 lakhs after three months and balance after successful completion of GPL,”  specify  Accord Sports in their offer letter to GFA.

“Kindly let us have your confirmation and also let us know when it would be convenient for you to sign the agreement,” states the email.

“ I am extremely happy that I have managed to get Accord Sports to come overboard. It might have taken me time and my adversaries might have been trying to find faults in me and will continue trying. Goa is a powerhouse of football that has many companies eyeing it. Getting accord is just the beginning,” said Churchill Alemao.

“This deal I am getting is not to sell GPL to anyone. It is just selling the branding rights and despite the Pandemic, I think I have managed to get a good deal for this season. I am not technology savvy but that does not mean I will let football suffer. Despite the difference of opinions and delays, football will never suffer with me in charge,” added Churchill.

“We are in the final stages of signing the agreement and I think it will be unfair to comment at this stage. We will be happy to speak once the deal is done,” a senior member of Accord Sports disclosed over the phone from Kolkata.

Procam Sports from Mumbai were the sponsors of GFA during the tenure of former president Shrinivas Dempo. Transtadia was appointed as knowledge partners by Elvis Gomes and their collaboration was discontinued before the end of his term leaving GFA with no sponsors.

Most GFA Executive Committee members are receipt of the emails sent by the GFA secretariat on Friday. “I have received the email but am not sure how the Executive committee meeting is going to be held to discuss the offer,” said a member of the Executive Committee on condition of anonymity.

 

 

                                               Deliverable from GFA

1: Press conference announcing the sponsorship deals with Accord Sports

2: Conducting 132 matches in GPL

3: Office space for Accord sports inside the stadium premises for the entire duration of GPL

4: Wide publicity for GPL all over Goa covering all medium of advertising and promotion for the entire duration of GPL

5: Accord Sports will be part of all other Tournaments organized by GFA

6: All sponsorship and Advertising /Branding queries for GPL will be routed to Accord sports.

 

 

 

 

 

Soiling Goa Professional League with charges alluding to match- fixing or manipulation does not bode well for football in India

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) red flagging six matches of the 2019-2020 Goa Professional League (GPL) of Goa Football Association (GFA) is a good indicator that the governing body of Asian football is alert to manipulations. But, the six matches flagged just proved that betting in Goa is taking a professional tone with no evidence on match-fixing or manipulation.

The six matches signaled by AFC were between the stronger teams and weaker teams of the GPL and all the results were predictable and good betting house use experts to predict results to provide odds to punters. In these six cases, the odds markers did justice.

The AFC report discusses matches involving Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC, Sporting Clube de Goa and FC Goa – the four top teams – in terms of players and financial power- of GPL lesser equipped teams and the results of the six matches left none following the game in doubts of any match- fixing because the winners of all matches were predictable.

The AFC had written to AIFF Integrity officer Javed Niraj informing him about, “suspicious betting patterns indicative of match manipulation” during the six matches from October 16 to November 19, 2019.

The GFA investigated and zeroed their probe on one Gabriel Fernandes , who according to the GFA report was found relaying live commentary during an I-league match , GPL matches and ISL matches in Goa. Relaying live commentary can be attributed to changing the odds by a betting house but not indicative of manipulating matches.

Gabriel Fernandes, as per the GFA report to AIFF, was found at the Nehru stadium during an I-League match between Churchill Brothers FC and Gokulam Kerala FC   with an entry card issued by AIFF. The report claims that the card stated he was representing Genius Group as a reporter and that the same group had links with Betfair – a well known and registered betting group in the United Kingdom.

The AIFF, on its part, has in a statement stated that it follows a zero- tolerance policy to any sort of corruption in sports. “AIFF Integrity Officer Mr. Javed Siraj is currently looking into monitored reports from Sportsradar , a company engaged by Asian Football Confederation  in reference to fixing allegations in the Goa Professional League which is hosted and conducted by the Goa Football Association .”

Gabriel was seen in many matches and was openly in conversation over the phone. “Corner “; “Saved”; “8(jersey number of player) crossed “; “Saved” were words used by him on the phone. Like Gabriel , there have been boys who were giving permission by GFA to sit in the press box at the Duler stadium in Mapusa and they too relayed information through their smart phones to betting firms in the UK.

Relaying live information to a betting company in the UK is in no way any indication of match manipulation. No one wanting to fix a match would do so in public view. It was obvious then and has become clear now that information about matches of the Goa Professional League is being passed on to betting firms outside the State.

The results of the six matches flagged by AFC were predictable to any one following football in Goa. The score lines may not have been. But casting aspersion of match fixing on players, coaches or team officials will definitely not help football in India go forward.

Betting is illegal in India as in many countries in Asia. If betting is a problem, AFC and AIFF need to address that separately and not soil players, team officials and the sport with charges that allude to match-fixing or manipulation.