PANAJI: Churchill Alemao’s return to the state legislative assembly was cheered by the state’s vibrant football fraternity, but the state sport may get support from elsewhere, too.
Alemao defeated his nearest rival by more than 5,000 votes in Benaulim and immediately marked his victory by announcing that Sunday’s crucial I-League clash between his team, Churchill Brothers SC, and Shillong Lajong FC would be free for spectators at the Tilak Maidan, Vasco.
“All our fans, and those who support football in general, must come to the stadium. Entry will be free,” Alemao told TOI on Saturday.
Alemao’s passion for the beautiful game is well documented, but he will not be the only legislator rooting for football. Aldona MLA Glen Ticlo is a former state footballer and takes big interest in the Goa Football Development Council (GFDC), while Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes is also a big football fan, having represented Goa at the 1973 National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy in Kerala.
“Isidore had good shooting skills, and when he played for Don Bosco Oratory, he combined well with Armando Colaco, India’s most successful football coach with Dempo SC,” said a former footballer, who has watched both play.
St Andre MLA Francisco Silveira, a former sports minister, has also made his love for football known, while Filipe Nery Rodrigues (Velim) and Clafacio Dias (Cuncolim) are known football backers in their respective constituencies.
Other sports will not lag behind. Nilkanth Halarnkar’s daughter, Vaishnavi, is a medal winner at the recent National School Swimming Championship and the sport can expect unconditional support from the Tivim MLA, should he remain on the right side of power. Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar (cricket), Ravi Naik (volleyball), Digambar Kamat (badminton) and Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar (sepaktakraw) are other MLAs who have not just played their respective sport at a competitive level, but also actively associated themselves with the game in Goa.
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