Topics at Goa International Football Table on March 15/16

The Goa Football Development Council (GFDC) will organize the football specific conference under the title ‘Goa International Football Table’ (GIFT) on March 15/16, 2013 with a view to catalyse the football industry.

Topics at the inaugural GIFT will be:

Infrastructure – “Goa India’s new football infra story”Sports infrastructure India needs to be developed to match international standards for India to develop as a sporting nation. According to the VII All India Education Survey, only half of the primary schools in India have playing fields and less developed countries like Nigeria provide better sport facilities. The need of the hour is work at the grass root level. A strategic implementation of new ideas will help improve the condition of all sports in India. How can Goa be the pioneer of developing Football Infrastructure?

Talent development + Academy – “Goa, the Catalyst and Gateway to Indian Football Success”In India, there are few hotbeds for football talent, Goa being one of them. A major reason for the same might be because football is embedded in Goan culture. But is this enough? New training methods and ways to groom talent are emerging each day. What needs to be done for the future so that Goa continues to produce more talent at the junior and senior levels? Are there any international examples that we need to look at?

Community development / social upliftment – “Sports, the simple upliftment of society”Sporting events are known to play a massive role in promoting the culture of sports in society. Besides the economic impact of sporting event, the benefits cascade to the grassroots level. Is there any correlation between sporting success and Human Development Index? What role can a sport like football play to teach values of life to the next generation of Goa? How?

Marketing and sponsorship – “When football meets moneyball”It is common knowledge that lion’s share of India’s media monies meant for sports sponsorship go to cricket. In the recent past few large corporates have sponsored sports that do not enjoy the mass appeal of cricket. Is this philanthropy or are these strategic investments? For football in Goa to flourish, what needs to be done so that regional and national companies look at football as an investment and not a mere CSR activity?

The Professionals – “Upgrading Our Competition to Export Stars”Few footballers from India have had the opportunity to play in mature football markets. Recently, India Under-19 footballer Brandon Fernandes from Goa had a trial with Reading FC in UK. But is this just another flash in the pan? How can we create more ‘stars’? What do we need to do so that someday a Goan footballer would play in one of the top football leagues in the world?