Former India midfielder Micky Fernandes has been elected President of the Goa State Football Players Association (GSFPA). He won 75 votes in the association’s first elections, held at Fr. Agnel’s Ashram, Verna, on Sunday.
Of the 128 members registered with the GSFPA, 98 attended and cast their votes. Fernandes defeated Levino Anthony Pereira, who received 75 votes.
Luis X. Barreto was elected Vice-President (Male) and Bibiano Fernandes was elected General Secretary, both unopposed. Maymol Rocky was elected Vice-President (Female) with 67 votes. Ramona D’Souza was elected Treasurer with 50 votes, ahead of Ricardo Xavier Jose Cardozo, who received 42.
A Leadership Built on Experience
The newly elected office-bearers have spent years at the top level of Indian football, as players and as coaches.
Micky Fernandes played for Salgaocar, Sporting Clube de Goa, Mohun Bagan, Dempo and Churchill Brothers and represented India at senior level. He later moved into coaching, most notably with Vasco SC.
General Secretary Bibiano Fernandes is a former India international who played for several leading Goan clubs and East Bengal. As head coach of India’s U-17 side, he won the SAFF U-15 Championship in 2017 and 2019 and guided India to three successive AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifications.
Vice-President (Male) Luis X. Barreto kept goal for Dempo, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting and played in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League.
Vice-President (Female) Maymol Rocky played as a defender for Goa and India before becoming the first woman to serve as head coach of the India senior women’s team. She has since coached the India U-20 women’s side and holds an AFC ‘A’ Licence.
Micky Fernandes and Maymol Rocky were elected to represent the Goa State Football Players Association on the Goa Football Association (GFA) Executive Committee. Fernandes was elected unopposed as the Male representative, while Rocky secured the Female representative position with 65 votes. Rocky was also elected Vice-President (Female) with 67 votes.
Their presence on the Executive Committee gives Goa’s players a direct voice within the state’s governing body for the first time. Player perspectives will now be part of decisions on the administration and development of football in the state.
The elections follow an initiative by the GFA under Article 20.3.2 of the AIFF Constitution, in line with the provisions of the National Sports Governance Act. The GSFPA has been created to give players a formal platform to raise matters concerning their welfare, development and interests. With the election process complete, the association will work with the GFA, clubs and other stakeholders to support the continued growth of football in Goa.
