Controversial move raises concerns over accountability and family raj
Margao
The Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) is toying with the idea of delegating the power of appointing and monitoring coaches to the respective sports associations, sources in the know informed.
“The Government is now moving away from appointment of SAG coaches directly, and wants the Association/s to appoint and control the coaches, but payment will be reimbursed by the SAG,” a top ranking official of SAG told a delegation of sports officials who went to see her and pitch their case for appointments of more coaches for the game.
Attempts to confirm the shift in the policy decision regarding SAG coaches, from top officials of SAG were not possible with calls and messages sent to the official went unanswered.
While a few felt the government move, to disengage itself from the appointment and supervision of coaches is a ‘good step as SAG coaches are not accountable now’.
Others said that it would turn out to be a ‘family business’ if associations are allowed to appoint coaches.
“Look at the sports associations in the state. Some of them have become family raj, bearing a few most of the state associations, most of them are headed by politicians. See at Goans Hockey it has two sisters Farrel Furtado E Gracias and Nelly Furtado e Rodrigues,” said a physical education teacher based in South Goa.
“More of the family raj can been see with Gurudutta Bhakta as Secretary of Goa Olympic Association and his son as treasurer of Cycling Association of Goa, if these people are allowed to appoint coaches you can well imagine the fate of sports and it hitting a nadir is not ruled out,” warned the former footballer turned sports teacher.
SAG, which comes under the sports minister of the state government, has employed over 150 coaches in 32 sports disciplines who are based in different parts of the states.
The coach list on the SAG website features several coaches who have retired many years back and at least one of them who has expired.
Of the many coaches employed by SAG, some of them work with gymnasiums, some with sports associations, some with schools and some coach on their own.
Under the system followed by SAG, all the coaches come under the supervision of Director of Coaching Bruno Coutinho, the former football international.
Sources informed that a few years back, SAG had two Directors of Coaching, one for North Goa and one for South Goa, with Brahamanand Shanwalkar for South Goa and Bruno for North. However, with the exit of Sankhwalkar, Bruno is looking after all the coaches throughout the state.
Many sports associations and sports lovers have expressed apprehensions about the outdated system employed by SAG to monitor the duty timings and training conducted by these coaches.
“Most of the coaches are associated with schools and they submit their attendance duly signed by the school managements and it is easier to cross check these coaches,” said an SAG official who is well versed with the day to day happenings of SAG.
“But it becomes difficult and sometimes impossible to cross check and keep track of coaches associated with some private gyms, where they train people and also when they train on their own,” he added.
Recently Sandeep Heble, a sports promoter, pitched for a robust system of monitoring of SAG coaches, suggesting the use of cameras to keep track of the coaches and the coaching they conduct, besides other digital surveillance.
Of the coaches employed in the state by SAG football leads the list with 20 coaches followed by cricket 19 and body building 14 coaches.
The other coaches are for: Archery (One coach),Athletics (5 coaches), Badminton (two coaches),Baseball (3 coaches), Basketball (3 coaches), Beach Volleyball (One coach), Boxing (8 coaches), Chess (Three coaches), Diving (One coach), Gymnastic (One coach), Handball (four coaches), Hockey (Three coaches), Judo (Five coaches), Kabaddi (8 coaches), Karate (Three coaches), Kho-Kho (Three coaches), Netball (Two coaches), Sepak Takraw (One coach), Shooting Ball (One coach), Skating (One coach), Softball (5 coaches), Swimming (2 coaches),Table Tennis (One coach), Taekwondo (5 coaches), Volleyball (6 coaches), Wrestling (One coach), Tennis Ball Cricket (6 Coaches), Kho-Kho/ Kabaddi (Two coaches) and Carrom (One coach).
