SAG axe falls on Roshanlal(Herald) PANJIM, MARCH 31 – Roshanlal Nahar's days at the Indoor stadium, Campal are well and truly over.
The Rajasthan-born coach has been at Campal since his arrival in Goa three decades ago fighting several odds along the way. However, on Monday, March 31 he lost the battle for a contract extension with the Sports Authority of Goa. "We are not extending Roshanlal's contract. The search for another coach (to be posted at Panjim) has already begun," SAG Executive Director V M Prabhudessai told Herald late on Monday evening. The SAG's refusal to grant Roshanlal an extension has the blessing of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, a former president of the Goa Badminton Association and a keen badminton enthusiast. Prabhudessai is understood to have met Chief Minister Digambar Kamat early this morning at his official Altinho residence and briefed the case of Roshanlal Nahar's extension and the opposition to it from various quarters with the Chief Minister. Panjim Badminton Club and Evening Badminton Club officials who were spearheading the "Coach Hatao" campaign have also been briefed about the latest SAG development by the Executive Director. "We are exploring options, but for the moment no decision has been taken about the new coach at Panjim," Prabhudessai told this paper. Prabhudessai said, SAI badminton coach Rajiv Bhargava – posted at Ponda but currently on leave – will be asked to fill the vacant slot at Panjim "should he be interested" or else Roy Athaide, now based at Mapusa, will be given additional charge of Panjim. "Roy will have a chance to work with a much bigger number in Panjim. He will be able to do justice in Panjim," reasoned Prabhudessai. Panjim Badminton Club and Evening Badminton Club officials are also rooting for coach Roy Athaide as SAI coach Rajiv Bhargava has asked for his transfer out of Goa citing personal reasons. "We recommend that as a stop-gap arrangement, Roy Athaide, the NIS Coach who is presently posted at Peddem, Mapusa be given additional charge to train the shuttlers at Panjim. Several of our players have played under the able guidance of Roy Athaide at various Coaching Camps and we have full confidence in his coaching and training abilities," Panjim Badminton Club president Shashant Naik and Sandeep Heble, Joint Secretary, Evening Badminton Group wrote in a letter to the SAG Executive Director.3 http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=1895&cid=4
