The Goa government’s plan to hand over the Kambal Sports Complex in Panjim to a private operator has sparked a row with critics who accuse the government of privatizing the few sports and entertainment venues in the city that were built using public funds.
According to a representative of the Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA), he said it was looking for a private agency to take over the management of the complex on a 10-year lease “to increase government revenue”.
The sports complex, which includes a football field, a running track, a children’s play area, a sports academy, a restaurant area, parking lots and other public facilities, was constructed at a cost of $30 crore under the Smart City Mission and is spread over an area of 40,000 square metres.
In 2023, the GSUDA Sports Complex replaced the Bandodkar Football Stadium named after the state’s first Chief Minister CM Dayanand Bandodkar, which was demolished in 2004. However, the new stadium lay dormant for three years.
“The Kambal grounds and the accompanying walking trail have been renovated with Goa taxpayers’ hard-earned money. Every citizen has contributed to this project and therefore every citizen has an equal right to enjoy it. It is simply unacceptable that public land, built and improved using public funds, should be put in the hands of private entities. Public spaces belong to the people, not private companies,” said CPC Councilor Jack Sukhija, CPC councilor.
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He added: “People are tired of seeing public funds being used to create assets that are slowly slipping out of the hands of the public. The government must remember that it is only the custodian of these public assets, not their owner.”
He suggested that the Campal Grounds could be entrusted to the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) for its overall management and maintenance, while the football stadium could be managed by the Goa Football Association to ensure professional maintenance and continued promotion of football in Goa.
“This vulture-like approach of taking what belongs to the people and putting it in private hands must stop. The Campal Grounds must remain what it was meant to be: a public space for the people, and for future generations of Goans,” he said.
Former Goa Football Association president Elvis Gomes said the move would mean the state would “lose yet another precious public space dedicated to sports, entertainment and the people of the state”.
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“Sports culture is created when every child has a field to play on every evening, when local clubs have affordable access to it, when schools can use these facilities regularly, and when talented youth receive quality training. Playgrounds do not produce champions. Accessible facilities, good coaches and sustainable grassroots development do,” said Vijay Sardesai, President, Goa Forward.
“Goa is home to two of the most respected football clubs in the country, Dempo Sports Club and Sporting Club Di Goa, both of which have decades of experience in nurturing local talent. If partnerships are required, the government should first explore working with sports institutions in Goa to promote grassroots football and develop athletes,” he added.
The Bandodkar Stadium has been home to many historic football matches between national clubs over the years, including the Bandodkar Gold Cup founded by Dayanand Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of Goa.
