KERALA FOOTBALL
THRILLER ‘ SEVENS ‘ TO HIT GOA SOON
FOOTBALL LEGENDS TO CLASH IN EXHIBITION MATCH OF GSPL
Margoa
: Goa is all set to launch the Goa Sevens Premier League(GSPL), a professional
league in Sevens football. This is the first time ever a State is all set to
initiate a league for Sevens football after it originated in Kerala. The ‘
Sevens’ gained popularity in Kerala and proved a crowd puller sport in this
tourist State of India.
Football gurus have huge expectations for GSPL
in Goa; where football is passion. The Sevens league is compared to T-20 Cricket,
which revolutionized the laws of play in Cricket.
With
less players, small fields, lesser duration, fast movements, more goals and
spectacular moments, Sevens has been widely accepted as a new age format of football.
Sevens League is considered as a game for both fields and screen due to its skillful characteristics.
The Goa Football Association (GFA) has given GSPL a big
thumbs up, approving the league and major teams from the Goan professional
league, who have consented to play in the GSPL. The Sevens league is also
recognized by the Sports Authority of Goa, (SAG). Major star players will line-up,
with 8 teams; The top gun clubs include Salgaocar
FC, Dempo SC, Vasco SC, Sporting Club de Goa and Churchill Bros SC. FC Bardez,
Guardian Angel SC and Santa Cruz Club of
Cavelossim.
The 15-day GSPL football bonanza will spice up the event with
elements of entertainment and fashion. Top clubs with their star players would
be seen in action at the training ground adjacent to the Fatorda stadium. The
preparations are on a war footing at the venue with the support of Sevens
experts from Kerala.
The Sevens Premier League held in Kerala last year had the
distinction of entering in the prestigious ‘Limca Book of Records’ as the
biggest rural sporting event in the country under the category of ‘ Sports
& Entertainment’.
On the final day of the event, football legends of Kerala and
Goa will face off in an exhibition match. Legends players like I M Vijayan, C V
Pappachan, Joe Paul Anchery, U Sharaf Ali, K T Chacko, Bruno, Mahesh Lotlikar, and
Brahmanand will be seen in action.
The formal announcement of the league was done by Mr.
Benjamin Silva, President, GSPL at a press conference here in Margoa recently.
The 15-day event comprises in a league cum knock-out format
starts on April 30th and ends on 14th of May.
Dooradrshan will telecast the semi-final matches and the
final. The Tourism Department of Goa will include GSPL in their calendar as a
‘State Tourism Event’.
After the Goa League the sevens will hit Mizoram, Tamil Nadu,
Telungana and Chathisgarh. All these States expressed their willingness to
initiate the Sevens League. Middle East is also keen on launching Sevens league
in the region.
The GSPL is organized by Goa Sevens Sports and Cultural
Association and Ambelim Sports Club. N Sports, the owners of the Indian Sevens
Premier League conducting professional leagues in Kerala, are the consultant
and strategic partner for the League. The GSPL media campaign is supported by
Goa Network7, Cutting Edge Sports PR Agency.
