Vedanta’s Sesa Football Academy Senior Men’s Team was felicitated for their first-ever Runners-Up finish in the just-concluded Goa Pro League top tier for the 2023-24 Season. The finish has guaranteed Sesa FA their maiden I-League 3 participation. The felicitation ceremony was organised by Vedanta Sesa Goa at the Sesa FA Sirsaim campus.
Goa Football Association President, Dr. Caitano Fernandes; Padma Shri Brahmanand Shankhwalkar, PK Mukherjee, Independent Director- SCDF, Navin Jaju, CEO- Vedanta Sesa Goa, graced the occasion. Leena Verenkar, Head ESG, Vedanta Sesa Goa and Sandhya Malik, Chief Corporate Communications Officer- Vedanta Sesa Goa; along with other Company officials and the entire coaching & support staff at SFA; Denzil Franco, SFA Alumnus & ex-India defender were also present.
During the ceremony, 31 players and the entire coaching, support team and 9 staff members were felicitated with specially designed medals, trophies and certificates of appreciation. A special award was instituted for Joshua D’Silva, for being the highest goal-scorer with 24 goals in the Pro League.
GFA President, Fernandes hailed the contribution of Sesa FA to Goan football, stating: “ I am confident that within a year, they will further be promoted along the I-League ladder. In the last 4-5 years, SFA has made very commendable progress in the Goa Pro League. Vedanta Sesa Goa has supported Goan football in many ways. Their support to women’s football has been a game-changer, and it is only because of the Vedanta Women’s League that Goa State won the U-15 Girls Nationals after a gap of 22 years because the VWL allowed us to create the talent pool and revive girls and women’s football.”
Shankhwalkar believes this achievement will spur the academy for higher goals.
“Having been associated with Vedanta’s Sesa Football Academy for a long time now, I have been witness to the extraordinary accomplishments of players spanning multiple generations. It fills me with immense pride to see the SFA Senior Team attain this well-deserved recognition, today. Their recent success not only underscores their dedication and hard work but also sets a promising foundation for even greater triumphs in the future, paving the way for the academy’s continued legacy of glory,” said the former India captain and Arjuna awardee.
