AFC Vision India project to boost Goan football

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2009-06-12
PANAJI- The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Vision India – Project Goa Assessment Visit kicked off here on Thursday.
The AFC delegation led by Mr Imtiaz Rehman of Pakistan, Project Director, along with Mr Yogesh Desai (India), Mr A Ranganathan (Malaysia), Mr Ali (Iran) and Mr Michael Andrews (Kerala) will be the experts who will interact with the Goa Football Association to chalk out a road map for football development in the state keeping in line with the 8-point assessment criteria laid down by the AFC.
They will also evaluate the status of football in the state by analysing and evaluating GFA’s legal status, organizational structure, department and their responsibilities, along with staffing, finances, marketing, media activities, competition, school football, coaching facilities. Clubs and referees will also be an integral part during the assessment visit.
The AFC’s Vision India project has already been successfully launched in Delhi, Manipur, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and Goa happens to be the fifth destination with West Bengal being the next one in line, stated Mr Imtiaz, during the inaugural ceremony.
Mr Imtiaz, who is the head of delegation for Goa project, said during the next couple of days the AFC team would be assessing various aspects linked to football development in Goa and will analyse the structure of football in the state and would be assessing the governance and statutes of GFA. They would also cover the assessment of structure and organisation, personnel, finance, infrastructure and equipments, external relationships, grass roots/youth, coaches, competitions and discuss various other aspects needed by Goa FA in terms of improving and developing the standards of football in this football crazy state. Goa FA’s commitment for football development will be a vital component in implementing the various criteria laid down by AFC for making Vision India (Goa) a success.
Mr Imtiaz explained that the AFC believed in Asia’s ability and talent potential for football with the objective of developing football at various levels so that there would be maximum countries participating in world football from Asia. He divulged that the Vision Asia programme was the brainchild of its president Mr Md Bin Hammam.
Mr Imtiaz during his presentation added that eleven elements of Vision Asia were essential for implementing the project successfully and the Football Association (FA) remained the keepers of interest of all football stakeholders, who were the main targets of Vision Asia as FA are the ones who set the governance and provide the organisational base for football. Marketing, a defender of the financial strength and stability of associations, comes next and is followed by grassroots and youth, coaches, referees, who determine the quality of a competition, sports media and fans. The project director (India) highlighted that fans form a vital component of football and are important partners and stakeholders and therefore FAs, clubs need to work in tandem to formulate a strategy to build a solid fan base. Media are also an important stakeholder and determine the commercial potential while Futsal/men/women ensure that the Club-Player-Competition chain is sustained to ensure better football development.
The others who gave presentations were Mr Yogesh, Mr Savio Messias, GFA secretary, Mr Tonito Botehlo, GFA’s Youth Development Chairman and Mr John Dias, GFA treasurer. Mr Vinod Parkot, Senior Vice-President of GFA welcomed.
Meanwhile, Mr Alberto Colaco, AIFF secretary, could not make it for the inaugural function today, as he needed to be present in New Delhi for the AIFF’s executive meeting on Friday. In his message Mr Colaco said the AIFF supports Vision India (Goa) programme and would help out Goa FA at any step to ensure that it achieves its objectives for successful implementation of the programme.