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PANAJI: Until six months ago, Kaitano Fernandes was not part of any club in Goa. Perhaps only a handful of people in Goa’s close-knit football community have heard of him.
On Sunday, the unassuming businessman stepped into the temple of the Goa Football Association (GFA) and convincingly defeated Savio Alemao, the son of former prime minister and football stalwart Churchill Alemao, winning four years. He served as GFA president for the term of .
Caitano elected nearly all of his subordinates. Apart from 17 of the 20 elected members of the executive committee, the two vice presidents are also members of his committee.
“We know this is a big victory,” the newly-elected president told TOI on Sunday. “The club has shown faith in me and the vision (document) I have presented. We will see the results within three months.”
Caitano received 83 votes out of 159 on behalf of FC Twom, while Savio received just 47 votes. Former GFA Secretary General Welvin Menezes, who was also in the fray, received 29 votes, giving Caitano a stunning victory in the first round.
The GFA Presidential election will be held on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that you need a majority (50% or more) of valid votes to win. If Caitano had scored less than 80 points, he would have faced Savio straight up in the second round and Wervin would have been eliminated.
A businessman by trade, Kaitano owns CAM Industries, which focuses primarily on hygiene. His company is his partner in housekeeping for his FC Goa during the Indian Super League (ISL) and his AFC Champions League matches held at Fatorda.
He is also a member of the Goa Football Development Council (GFDC), and how will he take the top post in the GFA, which was previously held by the likes of Shivanand Salgaocar (2002-06) and Joaquin Alemao (2006-10)? Were they able to win? , Shrinivas Dempo (2010-14), Elvis Gomez (2014-18), Churchill Alemao (2018-22).
“People didn’t care about his reputation, they just voted for his vision,” said Jonathan de Sousa, a close ally of Caitano who was later elected vice president (northern). “He knew a lot of people and had goodwill, but he didn’t know that they were interested in football. Kaitano ran a very positive campaign and was one of the best players in Goan football to date. He had a vision plan that had never been presented before. He explained everything in detail and explained how he was going to get Goan football back to the top. Considering the turmoil of the past four years, the club was in for a welcome change. I voted.”
Caitano has meticulously worked his way up behind the scenes, meeting all the big names and explaining why he is so keen to vie for the GFA president’s position.
He first met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, with whom he has good relations, and sought his support.
When a group opposed to Alemao tried to convince Calangute MLA Michael Lobo to throw his hat into the ring, Caitano drove to Para to make his ambitions known. He then met with former Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, who was a presidential candidate in the last election in 2018.
To improve communication with the club, Caitano hired a company to handle social media campaigns, began sponsoring soccer tournaments, and gained new friends. Caitano provided the largest sponsorship for the Custodio Memorial Soccer Tournament in Raia, the oldest inter-village soccer tournament in Goa.
A turning point in his campaign came when Sargaocar FC chairman and businessman Shivanand Salgaocar publicly endorsed him. FC Goa chairman Akshay Tandon also immediately posted on social media.
Goa’s two big clubs were pushing hard behind him and he was unstoppable.
“Two months ago, I was confident of winning,” Caitano said. “I have been campaigning for the past six months, meeting with club officials, former players and managers to get their input on my vision plan. Unlike others who end up getting confused, I put my vision down on paper. If I don’t follow the vision document, anyone is free to ask. You will see the results. .”
On Sunday, the unassuming businessman stepped into the temple of the Goa Football Association (GFA) and convincingly defeated Savio Alemao, the son of former prime minister and football stalwart Churchill Alemao, winning four years. He served as GFA president for the term of .
Caitano elected nearly all of his subordinates. Apart from 17 of the 20 elected members of the executive committee, the two vice presidents are also members of his committee.
“We know this is a big victory,” the newly-elected president told TOI on Sunday. “The club has shown faith in me and the vision (document) I have presented. We will see the results within three months.”
Caitano received 83 votes out of 159 on behalf of FC Twom, while Savio received just 47 votes. Former GFA Secretary General Welvin Menezes, who was also in the fray, received 29 votes, giving Caitano a stunning victory in the first round.
The GFA Presidential election will be held on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that you need a majority (50% or more) of valid votes to win. If Caitano had scored less than 80 points, he would have faced Savio straight up in the second round and Wervin would have been eliminated.
A businessman by trade, Kaitano owns CAM Industries, which focuses primarily on hygiene. His company is his partner in housekeeping for his FC Goa during the Indian Super League (ISL) and his AFC Champions League matches held at Fatorda.
Expanding
“People didn’t care about his reputation, they just voted for his vision,” said Jonathan de Sousa, a close ally of Caitano who was later elected vice president (northern). “He knew a lot of people and had goodwill, but he didn’t know that they were interested in football. Kaitano ran a very positive campaign and was one of the best players in Goan football to date. He had a vision plan that had never been presented before. He explained everything in detail and explained how he was going to get Goan football back to the top. Considering the turmoil of the past four years, the club was in for a welcome change. I voted.”
Caitano has meticulously worked his way up behind the scenes, meeting all the big names and explaining why he is so keen to vie for the GFA president’s position.
He first met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, with whom he has good relations, and sought his support.
When a group opposed to Alemao tried to convince Calangute MLA Michael Lobo to throw his hat into the ring, Caitano drove to Para to make his ambitions known. He then met with former Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, who was a presidential candidate in the last election in 2018.
To improve communication with the club, Caitano hired a company to handle social media campaigns, began sponsoring soccer tournaments, and gained new friends. Caitano provided the largest sponsorship for the Custodio Memorial Soccer Tournament in Raia, the oldest inter-village soccer tournament in Goa.
A turning point in his campaign came when Sargaocar FC chairman and businessman Shivanand Salgaocar publicly endorsed him. FC Goa chairman Akshay Tandon also immediately posted on social media.
Goa’s two big clubs were pushing hard behind him and he was unstoppable.
“Two months ago, I was confident of winning,” Caitano said. “I have been campaigning for the past six months, meeting with club officials, former players and managers to get their input on my vision plan. Unlike others who end up getting confused, I put my vision down on paper. If I don’t follow the vision document, anyone is free to ask. You will see the results. .”
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