PANAJI: Formed in 1951, Vasco Sports Club is Goa’s oldest football club with a glorious past in the Cup and league competitions. However, the two-time National Football League third-place finishers (2001-02 & 2002-03) have gone through tough times in the last decade or so. The Port-Towners have now drawn up a roadmap for an ambitious future with president Nitin Bandekar setting a two-year target for the club to get back to playing ‘top-level football’.
In a press release about the launch of the Port-town club’s new jersey and sponsors for the upcoming Goa Football Association’s Goa Pro-League, Bandekar is quoted as saying: “I would like to see Vasco Sports Club playing top-level football in the next 2-3 years and I believe with more sponsors coming on board, we will be able to achieve this dream. We have a vision of playing in the top league and we wouldn’t disappoint the fans. We will be back soon.”
Siolim Deck will be the title sponsor along with Rave Nation and Hopping Frog Bar and Kitchen as associate sponsors for the upcoming season, informed newly-appointed club director Ravish Narvekar.
“Firstly I would like to thank all our sponsors who got on board to help our club by supporting us every way possible. I would like to thank Vinay Vaigankar owner of Siolim Deck for coming on board as a title sponsor for this season. I would also like to appreciate the support from Samford Fernandes, Rave Nation and Juby McDonald of Hopping Frog Bar and Kitchen in our project,” added Bandekar.
“We are keen on starting with second Division I-league and mostly we will give it a try this season if we get the sponsor. If not, next year, we are surely going to try our best getting more sponsors and play in the national league,” said Narvekar.
Vasco SC have meanwhile, signed former India midfielder Francis Fernandes and Joaquim Abranches to bolster their team this season.
The club also announced that Aquilla Sports Management has joined as technical partners and Supreme Sports as kit partners, while FlashEye has come on board as media partners.
