<table width="450" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; "><tbody><tr><td colspan="5" valign="top" align="left"><h2 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 20px; color: rgb(23, 50, 99); font-size: 14px; background-image: url(http://www.the-aiff.com//images/arrow-blue2.gif); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; ">State of the Art Centre of Excellence in the making</h2></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="bottom"><img src="http://www.the-aiff.com//images/email-message.jpg"; alt="Email" border="0" style="outline-style: none; cursor: pointer; "> <a href="http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?N_Id=3163#"; class="greylink" style="outline-style: none; color: rgb(23, 50, 99); text-decoration: none; "><img src="http://www.the-aiff.com//images/print.gif"; alt="Print" border="0" style="outline-style: none; "></a></td></tr><tr><td colspan="5" valign="top" class="txt-black" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11px; text-align: justify; padding-top: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; "><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td width="2%"><img src="http://www.the-aiff.com//images/top-left.jpg"; width="7" height="7" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="outline-style: none; "></td><td width="97%" class="border-top" style="background-image: url(http://www.the-aiff.com//images/top-border.jpg); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; "></td><td width="1%"><img src="http://www.the-aiff.com//images/top-right.jpg"; width="7" height="7" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="outline-style: none; "></td></tr><tr><td class="border-left" style="background-image: url(http://www.the-aiff.com//images/left-border.jpg); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat repeat; "></td><td valign="top" id="img" class="graytext" style="color: rgb(50, 50, 50); padding-top: 8px; "><a href="http://www.the-aiff.com/siteadmin/uploads/1336577483Goa minister.JPG" rel="lightbox[roadtrip]" style="outline-style: none; "><img src="http://www.the-aiff.com/siteadmin/uploads/1336577483Goa minister.JPG" height="160" width="250" alt="" class="imgborder1" style="outline-style: none; float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 1px; margin-left: 0px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-right-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-image: initial; vertical-align: middle; "></a><p align="justify" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><strong>NEW DELHI:</strong> A State of the Art National Centre of Excellence in Indian football doesn’t stay a distant dream anymore. On Wednesday (May 9) evening, Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary of All India Football Federation (AIFF) informed the “Government of Goa is to partner AIFF to create a Centre of Excellence for National Teams across all age groups.”<br><br>Mr. Ramesh Tawadkar, Minister for Sports, Goa; Dr. Rufino Monterio, Chairman, Goa State Football Development Council and Mr. Elvis Gomes, Executive Director, Sports Authority of Goa were also present as Mr. Das spoke at a Media Interaction at AIFF Headquarters ‘Football House’ in New Delhi.<br><br>“The Government of Goa has already declared football as its State Sport,” Mr. Tawadkar stated. “We intend to create better facilities for the sport. Let the other states also follow suit,” he added.<br><br>Under the partnership, the Government of Goa is to provide the land for setting up of a Centre of Excellence in Goa. “The intention stays to model the centre of Excellence on the lines of that we have in developed footballing countries,” Mr. Das maintained.<br><br>“The Football Development Council aims to stress on the Youth Development Programme,” stated Dr. Monterio, who’s a Cardiac Surgeon by profession. “The YDP has to be specific and we need to cater to youth from the U-10 level. It’s also a big challenge to develop all weather grounds in Goa,” he maintained. “It’s imperative to have quality coaching staff and medical facilities on all grounds.”<br><br>“The Welfare of Retired Footballers also stay on the agenda,” he quipped.<br><br>Mr. Gomes lauded Dr. Monterio’s involvement and passion for the development of the sport. “The Government has told us that funds won’t stay a constraint for the project. A fund of Rs. 5 crore has already been allocated,” Mr. Gomes commented.</p><p align="justify" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br></p><p align="justify" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?N_Id=3163">http://www.the-aiff.com/pages/news/index.php?N_Id=3163</a>;
</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">A good Training center with quality 4-5 grounds would be dream.</font><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"> </font></div>
<font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">Kolhapur is a great footballing city in Maharashtra</font>
<br><div><br></div><div>Yeah...you could call it mecca of maharashtra football now as here is the place local football is followed the most in the state...</div><div>and yea i did saw some pics and were really in good nos....</div><div>if ongc makes a move to this place they will get crowd at least for kailash patil but heard that it doesnt fulfil i-league stadium criteria so it might need some good renovations</div>
according to wikipedia, there are plans of installing artificial turf here under FIFA PROJECT which was allotted to balewadi after the authorities at pune opted for natural grass turf<br><br>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajarshi_Shahu_Stadium<br>;
according to wikipedia, there are plans of installing artificial turf here under FIFA PROJECT which was allotted to balewadi after the authorities at pune opted for natural grass turf<br><br>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajarshi_Shahu_Stadium<br>;
<br><div>yup...couple of months back WIFA officials did gave a visit and confirmed that installation procedure will start in this ground soon.. and also were talking of renovating this stadium</div><div>but dont know in what state is the move by now</div>
Comments
<br><div><br></div><div>Waiting eagerly for Cooperage to be back!!!</div>
</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
<br><div><br></div><div>Yeah...you could call it mecca of maharashtra football now as here is the place local football is followed the most in the state...</div><div>and yea i did saw some pics and were really in good nos....</div><div>if ongc makes a move to this place they will get crowd at least for kailash patil but heard that it doesnt fulfil i-league stadium criteria so it might need some good renovations</div>
<br><div>yup...couple of months back WIFA officials did gave a visit and confirmed that installation procedure will start in this ground soon.. and also were talking of renovating this stadium</div><div>but dont know in what state is the move by now</div>