Fatorda stadium –an international football center
Goa, thanks to an earlier Sports Minister, Francisco Monte Cruz was blessed with the PJN stadium in Fatorda – a venue specifically built for football. And Goa, perhaps due to the erstwhile influence of the Portuguese developed over the years an unique soccer culture. And thanks to the passion of a few industrialists and soccer loving businessmen, Goa has a soccer pedigree, with a majority of teams in the National Football League.
But right now there appears to be missing the main catalyst to ensure the further growth of modern football, which in addition to being a sport is also an organized industry - a supportive government. The need of the hour is government encouragement and assistance for infrastructure development and support for the clubs to develop their own grounds and stadia, without which youth development programmes, the root of modern football, will not kick off.
Recently a team of officials from AFC visited Goa to inspect the facilities and the PJN stadium. One of the officials had already been to Goa three years ago for the AFC women''s Under-16 tournament. He voiced his dismay with the conditions at the PJN stadium and the Tilak Maidan, and sought to know why, when opportunities to organize international soccer events in India were increasing, the AFC had to repeatedly examine the facilities in Goa because the stadia were not being adequately maintained.
The government spends huge sums of money on promotion of Goa as a tourist destination, but has it ever given a thought to football tourism ? When Japan played India in Kolkatta for the World Cup qualifiers, over a 1,000 high spending Japanese fans visited the City of Joy.
At the recently concluded Federation Cup in Goa over 2,000 room nights were used at various hotels. The taxes earned on room tariffs paid for the accommodation of the football teams, officials and delegates are definitely higher than what the Goa government earns from a similar amount of room nights utilized by charter tourists.
During the last five years about football teams from about 20 different countries – more than play cricket in the world - played in Goa, giving the state much more publicity than it will ever receive from a cricket ODI. The money spent in Goa and earned by Goan businesses during the last Federation Cup will, in my opinion, be more than will be possible for even three ODIs.
During the GFA delegation''s visit to Portugal to sign the MOU with the Porto consortium and the Portuguese Olympic Committe, we had the privilege of visiting the “Estadio do Dragão” in Porto where the Euro 2004 Championship matches had been played, and what an experience it was !
The stadium was like a 5-star hotel. During the day it was used for conferences, business promotion functions and other events which raked in a lot of revenue. Visitors were charged to enter the stadium like any other spot of tourist interest.
On the other hand look at our PJN stadium. Most of the space which has tremendous potential for commercial revenue earning is unoccupied and in dilapidated condition. Monte Cruz played his part in building the stadium. It does not end with that – the stadium has to be regularly upgraded and maintained in a deserving manner. What have the successive Governments in Goa been doing ?
The number of football events and tournaments being allotted to India is on the rise, and for the time being takers for them are limited as few cities in India have the capacity, infrastructure and ability to stage big matches that a small state like Goa has. After all, venues must also have adequate supporting infrastructure like a number of good hotels, other entertainment avenues and more important local spectator attendance generated by love for the sport, all of which Goa has in abundance .
If we do not grab this opportunity now, sooner or later other states will pip us at the finishing line. Do we require Monte Cruz to be re-elected somewhere in South Goa for the PJN stadium and football in Goa to get a fresh lease of life ? Are our politicians listening ? Football fans and players and all those involved with football are also entitled to vote in the elections…
Savio Messias
