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GFA chief demands justice for assaulted FC Goa fans

Alemao takes over reins of GFA, announces various committees

| NOVEMBER 17, 2018, 03:42 AM IST

the goan I network

PANAJI

Goa Football Association (GFA) President Churchill Alemao, taking over on his post on Friday, strongly condemned the assault on Lester D’Souza, an Anjuna-based FC Goa fan who was brutally beaten by the plain-clothes State police after the FC Goa vs Delhi Dynamos ISL match concluded on November 8 at Fatorda.  

Following the first executive committee meeting at the GFA headquarters, Alemao at a presser said, “I have personally spoken to the DGP and FC Goa regarding the dastardly incident that happened at the last ISL home game. The Government should give justice to the victim. Goan football lovers living here and overseas are asking me what we have done regarding the issue. I strongly want those at fault to be punished.”  

He brought to attention the fact that the Government has received crores by FC Goa to ensure that the match days are incident-free. But on the contrary, the police are acting anything but human.   

“The assaulted victim and his parents are football-crazy fans and travelling from Anjuna to Fatorda is no joke. The parents wanted to take photos and the mother was pushed by a policeman. Their son was also taken inside the ground and was mercilessly beaten which was completely wrong,” he said.   

The new GFA chief stated that “the fans cannot be touched”. Recalling an incident at Nehru Cup in Margao, he revealed that there were thousands of fans at a match. “The police tried to hit a fan who entered the ground but I intervened and prevented the issue going out of hand,” Alemao recalled.   

“The police are duty-bound to provide security at FC Goa matches in the State, not to hit them. The law cannot be taken in their hands in such a manner. An inquiry has to be conducted on the erring cops. Mistakes do happen with fans, but police brutality is injustice,” Alemao stressed.   

“At the executive committee meeting, we have taken a resolution condemning the irresponsible behaviour and will urge the Chief Minister (Manohar Parrikar) and DGP (Muktesh Chander) to take severe action against the concerned officers and get to the bottom of the callous incident,” he added.   

In the briefing, he also mentioned that GFA have an outstanding of 14,70,000, receivables of 46,49,000 (Rs 15 lakh from SAG, Rs 15 lakh from SAG, rest from clubs) and a fixed deposit of Rs 84 lakhs.   

Alemao also appointed senior journalist, Jovito Lopes as the GFA administrator while government officer Alexio Da Costa would be appointed as General Secretary, GFA once given the approval from the State Government. Till then, Lopes would be the signing authority for day to day correspondence.   

He also announced the formation of various committees constituted by the new 

GFA dispensation.


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