Dear all,
Greetings!
On behalf of the Churchill Brothers SC, kindly find the press release
for --Plea for retaining top status for Churchill Bros in I-League CM
backs up PM's intervention. Kindly consider and publish the same in your
esteemed daily.
Best,
Carol Mascarenhas
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Plea for retaining top status for Churchill Bros in I-League,
CM backs up PM's intervention
"Football is a sport that singularly connects every Goan and invokes a
sense of passion. Goa has given illustrious football legends to the
Indian sports arena. I request the Prime Minister to consider examining
the matter put forward by Churchill Bros FC, which is one of the premier
clubs in the State of Goa."
--Goa's Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant
JULY 15, PANJIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant sought Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's mediation in examining the plea of Churchill Brothers
Football Club to retain the club's position in the top league of the
country, specially considering the interest of young football players
and also providing protection to the traditional clubs with a highly
valued history in Indian football.
The Chief Minister's prompt action was a follow-up of the meeting with
Mr Churchill Alemao, president and Ms Valanka Alemao, CEO of Churchill
Bros FC.
Fully supporting the Churchill Bros' plea, the Chief Minister perused
the letter addressed to the Prime MInister, wherein Churchill Bros FC
alongwith many other I-League clubs had sought the PM's intervention to
save Indian football, especially that of the Goan club which has been
the torch-bearer of Goa and Indian football for the past four decades.
Grasping the matter quickly, and eager to protect the interest of
football and Goan football players, Dr Pramod stated: "Football is a
sport that singularly connects every Goan and invokes a sense of
passion. Goa has given illustrious football legends to the Indian sports
arena. I request the Prime Minister to consider examining the matter put
forward by Churchill Bros FC, which is one of the premier clubs in the
State of Goa," stated the Chief Minister.
Driving home that football runs in the blood of Goans, Dr Pramod
concluded by saying that the "PM's intervention in the matter would
ensure that the lawful rights of the players and patrons of the sport in
the State are safeguarded."
In its submission, Churchill Bros FC's CEO, Valanka Alemao, stated that
the club were the champions in the I-League twice and the Federation Cup
and runners-up of I-League thrice. The 42-year old club had earned the
distinction of representing India in the AFC Cup championship due to its
superlative performance and presently is the only Goan club in the
I-League after the withdrawal of other acclaimed Goan teams - Dempo,
Salgaocar and Sporting.
"We have been providing a pan-India platform for talented players from
Goa, other parts of India and even from abroad to showcase their talent
with specially the Goan football players gaining the much needed
experience and exposure which catapults them for higher and bigger
events at national and international levels. As of now we are the
torch-bearers of Goan football in the National League and as such we
must continue enjoying the pride of place especially for the sake of
Goan players. The I-League has been the top division league in the
country and the status need to be maintained at all costs," reasoned out
Valanka.
"The ISL is a commercial championship without a strategy for promotion
and relegation. It is more like the IPL in cricket, a closed-league,
there being no culture of Indian football. There is no legacy. The AIFF
is dependent on the finances to sustain itself and as such it entered
into a Masters Right Agreement (MRA) in 2010 with IMG-R which affects
the rights of the I-League clubs as it has been contemplated in the
agreement that the ISL would be made the seniormost league in preference
to I-League which would eventually be displaced to the ordinary or no
status at all," explained Valanka.
"The IMG-R is a private business entity which has launched
francise-based clubs, which are not part of the rich history of Indian
football. The top-tier league in the country was launched in 1996,
christened as National Football League (NFL) and in 2007 re-branded as
I-league as India's first ever professional league and as such enjoyed
the status of India's top-tier league. It was only in October 2013 that
ISL came into existence, with many alleging that it became a necessity
due to financial constraints," added Valanka.
"The road map for Indian football is what the traditional clubs have
been asking for. It is because of this exact reason - the lack of
clarity on the road map for Indian football - that Dempo, Salgaocar and
Sporting withdrew from the league. And now the onus has fallen on
Churchill Bros to safeguard the interests of Goan football players, as
football is today a means of livelihood for most of the players what
with more and more youngsters being attracted to it also from the
employment point of view that also encompasses coaches, physios,
professional managers, administrators and several others. Consequently,
lowering the status of the I-League would mean diminishing the returns
especially for the professionals," reasoned out Valanka.
Valanka expressed her club's gratitude to Chief Minister Dr Pramod
Sawant for promptly accepting the request to save the interest of Goa
and Goan footballers and promote proper ecosystem to nurture young
talent as future starts of Indian football.
Churchill, while praising the Chief Minister for initiating quick action
in the matter, stated that Dr Pramod had understood the urgency of the
matter and that the Chief Minister had grasped the subject, promising
that sports and especially football would be given due priority and
attention since it involved the youth.
