ISL sold FC Goa stakes to casino king Mody
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 05 August 2016 13:04 IST
New major owner of FC Goa and Casino King Jaydev Mody has confirmed that the proposal to take over the team came from Indian Super League.
He has indirectly also admitted that the proposal did not come from Dattaraj Salgaocar and Shrinivas Dempo, who exited FC Goa.
On the other hand, couple of political leaders have demanded that Goa government should insist on Goan having stakes in FC Goa since the team carries name of Goa state.
These legislators included former chief minister Digambar Kamat as well as Goa Vikas Party chief Mickky Pacheco.
Mickky even told the House that he is prepared to buy 25% stakes of FC Goa if nobody comes forward.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar did not react.
A media briefing of FC Goa held yesterday however cleared the impression that Salgaocar and Dempo had sold their stakes directly to Goa’s casino operator Jayadev Mody.
“I learnt about it after the old owners exited. They went to ISL and then many people from ISL contacted me”, said Mody.
Mody has purchased over 60% shares of FC Goa while Videocon and Virat Kohli continue to be the partners.
Goa loves football, Goa also loved Churchill as well as his football team, now, here is twist in the tale, generally Goans have opposed casinos in mandovi, but have never opposed to inland casinos at 5 star hotels, be as it may, if in real Goans hate casinos, then this is a golden opportunity to just boycott these matches and whichever organization who is opposing casinos has to come out and campaign against this which should force this man to selloff not only the team to shut his shitty casinos. Govt. as is will be a mute spectator. Look at the state of affairs in Police Dept. almost all the barricades have casino ads, at many places road signs are having casino ads, now Goas premier football team is owned by casino owner, our Kadamba buses are carrying casino ads and days are not too far when there will be chapter in curriculum on casinos. I would only say this, if no Goan goes to watch these matches govt. will get clear signal about what Goans want because “Govt. is as good as its citizens are”.
Why so much casino hate amongst Goans? Have citizens sat down to ponder how many jobs it has created over the years? Have people realised that many successful tourism destinations have an element of casinos to them - Georgia, Cape Town (the list goes on).
Besides how does boycotting football matches help the sport? Why mix the two agendas? It's for reasons similar to this Goan football is on the brink of extension on the national level. Legendry clubs are left at the docks and young footballers are in an industry that is soon fading.
The matter of casinos and 'ethics' needs to be left on one side and sport on the other. How many Goans are prepared to come forward and buy stakes of existing Goan clubs? Make the right sort of noises and then let's talk.