PROPOSED NEW FOOTBALL STADIUM AT CAMPAL -PANJIM
This is in response to the article published in Gomantak Time dated 24th November, 2014 by Dr. Joe D’Souza. Dr. Joe D’Souza mentions in his article that former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had been a MLA from Panjim for the last 20 years. In fact he is not originally from Panjim but from Bardez side. Also Dr. Joe himself is not from Panjim but from Vagator near Calangute. He may be right that Parrikar has given his parting gift for a football stadium at Campal for Panjimites. But I am sure both of them never played football in any divisional team especially my friend Dr. Joe. What knowledge they will have of football stadiums? To understand about the stadium or football matches one has to be associated in football games which I do not think so. Now, since Dr. Joe writes an article saying that football stadium of international standard must come at Campal he is completely wrong. First of all there is not enough area for the parking and other facilities of international status. The main road of Panjim to Miramar will be completely obstructed and jam for motor traffic vehicles. No doubt we had a small playground during Portuguese regime in this locality but one has to forget to have of international stature. It is advisable that the ground may be selected or acquired possession of land at Merces where Prime Minister Modi had delivered his speech for over a lack crowd. It is definitely suitable for the games of international caliber as there exist a vast parking. He also mentions that the city fathers of the Corporation of City of Panaji started dumping garbage and concealing it with debris of gravel and mud and the CCP has misused and abused this prime property under the very nose of residents of Panjim and also dumping hospital waste, plastic and the hazardous leachates is all humbug and cheap utterances which are uncalled for. He has forgotten being an environmentalist that the garbage could be easily cleared within a month’s time and that this is not the type of Sonsodo garbage accumulation at Margao. Once a stadium is built than this will become a permanent solution. The idea of pressing for football ground in his article is just to please the new Government and GSUDA officials for ulterior motives and that probably government may sympathize. We request the authorities of Panjim and the future MLA whoever may be should give us a gift to real Panjimites by opposing this football ground stadium at Campal-Panjim. Stephen Dias-D.Paula (ex- Football Lar de Estudantes Academica and Portais club player and lover)
