Goans Hockey forced to change returning officer after objection from member clubs
Family raj of Furtado sisters Farrel Gracias and Nelly Rodrigues in focus
If anyone had doubts of Goans Hockey having become a family affair of the Furtado sisters – Nelly Rodrigues and Farrel Gracias --- fathom this notice, which has been sent to the all the clubs registered with Goans Hockey, the parent body controlling the National Game in the state.
The notice pertaining to the election to the post of President of Goans Hockey scheduled for April 6 give one a clear indication of who calls the shots at the Goans Hockey
· The “special general meeting has been called on 6th April at the residence of Mrs. Nelly Rodrigues on 6th April 2024 to elect a new president for a period of two years.”
· And that was not enough Farrel appointed Joey her brother-in-law Joey Rodrigues as the returning officer for the elections.
· It is another matter that he had to be changed on account of pressure from member clubs is another issue.
The run up to the vacant President post at Goans Hockey is turning out to be a flip flop with the Executive Committee taking some key decisions but later on changing them on account of pressure from the member clubs.
The election date to the President's post of Goans Hockey was announced by Secretary Farrel Furtado e Gracias in a communication sent to the clubs registered with the Goans Hockey, the body governing and controlling all matters related to the game in the state.
In one decision, member clubs were informed via a letter of the appointment of her brother-in-law Joey Rodrigues as Returning Officer for the election but had to relent with members clubs raising objection to the appointment of the Majorda-based advocate.
· Incidentally, Joey’s wife Nelly Furtado e Rodrigues is the joint Secretary of the Goans Hockey
Now the questions arise, how can the term of the new president can be two years when Xavier Marquis election took place on September 8, 2022 and he was five to six months way from completing his term of two years along with the new Executive Committee which took office after the September 2022 elections?
What made Xavier Marquis resign from the post those questions will be best answered by him after serving for so many years as President of the hockey association.
· Nomination of the candidate contesting for the post of the President shall be proposed and seconded by the members of the authorized list and should be sent to Farrel Furtado e Gracias General Secretary latest by 23th March by 6.p.m..
· The Scrutiny of the nominations shall be done on 24th March at the residence of Farrel Furtado e Gracias at Navelim.
That the Furtado sisters have a tight grip over all hockey matters in the state and are not ready to give away it so soon and easily can be gauged from the fact that the two along with Farrel’s husband Alvis Gracias have three South Goa clubs registered against their name.
Let’s see which of the clubs the Furtado sisters have just on paper nothing to show in terms of sporting achievements and hockey participation.
In fact, most of the South Goa have somewhere connected to Farrel and Nelly and expect for Guddi Sports Club, all others clubs are just on paper and for voting rights and with a view to win elections and have control over the hockey affairs in the state.
In fact, most of the South Goa have links to the Executive Committee members have not participated in the state championships according to officials who are day in and day out on the ground for hockey.
Aquem Baixo Socio Cultural Association, Navelim Hockey Club, Bambina Recreational Club, Innovation Socio Cultural Sports Club, Integrated Welfare Development Trust, Maina Hockey Club, Majorda Hockey Club and Sanguem Cultural and Sports are habitual offenders of not fielding any teams in the tournaments yet they continue to part of the Goans Hockey and their registration is not cancelled.
Most of the "so called inactive clubs" have links to executive committee members and also points to shades of family raj of Farrel Furtado e Gracias, her sister Nelly Furtado e Rodrigues and Farrel's husband, Elvis Alemida.
Farrel's family-controlled clubs in South Goa are Aquem Baixo Socio Cultural Association, Innovation Socio Cultural Sports Club, Integrated Goa Welfare Development Trust and Bambina Recreational Club which is linked to Maria Bambina Convent School Cuncolim Physical Education Teacher Valanka D'Souza, where Farrel and Valanka worked as teachers, until Farrel’s retirement recently.
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