By Lancelot Joseph. Executive Editor, Business India

Goa is the top three footballing states in India. So, six years ago, the Forca Goa Foundation (FGF) a sister-concern of FC Goa, an Indian Super League football club, conducted a study on the 196 football fields in Goa, to create a robust grassroots football movement. 

The study revealed that only a small percentage of the pitches were fit for safe and accessible to play. “So, Forca Goa looked at revamping three football grounds under the CSR project called ‘fields of dreams’, with the funding received from Delta Corp,” explains Akshay Tandon, ED, Forca Goa Foundation & president, FC Goa. “The initiative was to develop football in the state”.

“The youth of India deserve a fair chance at honing their skills and pursuing their dreams,” affirms Tandon. “With this project, we plan to make tangible impacts to people’s lives. We estimate to have impacted 5,000 families with our pilot project in Salvador; and the grounds in Guirim will further impact more than 20,000 people in the surrounding regions.”

With Delta Corp helping to implement this project financially, FGF is committed to enhance the lives of children and communities in the country, starting with Goa. This project also aims to bridge the gap in grassroots football development by facilitating state-of-the-art football grounds accessible to all.

Delta Corp, one of India’s leading gaming and hospitality companies, is dedicated to uplift the sports culture in India in general and Goa in particular, with the launch of the ‘field of dreams’ project. Delta Corp Limited, a flagship company of the group, is the only listed company engaged in the gaming (live, electronic, and online) and hospitality space in India. Incorporated in 1990 as a textiles and real estate consultancy, Delta Corp has evolved into diversified segments like Casino gaming, Online gaming, Hospitality, and Real estate. Delta Corp, along with its subsidiaries, owns and operates the ‘Deltin’ brand of luxury casinos in Goa and Sikkim and also an international casino in Nepal. The company also owns and operates the ‘Deltin Suites’ – an all-suite casino-hotel in Goa and ‘The Deltin’, a five-star hotel and integrated resort in Daman, with a proposed casino.

Revamped football grounds

This is a one-of-a-kind initiative that looks to redefine what grassroots football can do for Goa, and India too, by creating ‘fields of dreams’ – spaces, where the local community can have access to opportunities previously unavailable to them.  

The revamped football grounds are equipped with state-of-the-art playing surfaces with a sand base, efficient drainage and sprinkling systems and other necessary infrastructure.  “Football is part of the identity of Goa,” says Pramod Sawant, CM, Goa. “It’s one of our greatest passions. Over the years, footballers from the state have been a source of inspiration and pride. This project has the potential to make a profound impact in the lives of all Goans. I hope this project sets an example for others to come to the fore, as we all look to grow together”.