Bruno laments lack of Goan players in Indian under-17 team

Bengaluru, October 3: Bruno Coutinho, the former Indian international footballer from Goa who was known for his sublime passing skill and leadership quality on the field has been working as a senior sports officer at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at Goa.

The 45-year old midfielder, recently expressed his deep anguish a couple of days ago on the day Indian team for the forthcoming under-17 World Cup was announced.

Out of the announced 21 footballers there is nobody from Goa! Countinho, speaking from Goa over phone said, “How much pain I have been bearing since that day you will not be able to imagine. We cannot believe the decadence in Goan football which produced bunch of stars since the sub-junior age for around last four decades.”

It has reportedly been learnt that one of the key reasons behind no Goan footballer in the under-17 Indian football team is poor relationship between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Goan Football Association (GFA).

While, experienced coach Armando Colaco lamented, “Some problem in the youth development must be there. Otherwise why such thing will happen that there will not be a single boy from Goa in the World Cup?”

Contrary to poor state of scenario in Goa’s football, emergence of Manipur in Indian football is truly mind-blowing. There eight promising footballers in the national squad including skipper Amarjit Singh.

The similarity in these eight selected footballers is that all have come up after grueling fight with poverty. That might have been the reason former Indian international footballer from Manipur; Renedy Singh has been hugely active in initiating for an interesting effort.

Renndy has initiated to accumulate finance for the parents of all eight selected footballers so that they can travel to Delhi from Imphal by flight and live there for around a week to watch their sons playing in the World Cup. India will start their campaign against USA on 6th October in New Delhi.

Rennedy said, “It has been great pleasure for me to initiate for flight tickets as well as lodging and food in the hotels in New Delhi for the parents of our eight selected footballers.”