Goa Football Association should not have boycotted U-17 WC: Parrikar

Panaji, Sep 29 (IANS) The Goa Football Association should not have boycotted the FIFA U-17 World Cup because ego tussles cannot be bigger than a grand, global event, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday.

"The (Goa) football association has officially boycotted the World Cup. I basically think it is personal ego. I don't think the association should boycott the World Cup. Even though they may find some issues not very comfortable to them, the event is beyond their egos. They should have participated," Parrikar said on Friday, while speaking at the Dilip Sardessai Sports Excellence awards ceremony in the state capital.

Parrikar also noted that not a single football player from Goa, a state known for its football frenzy, was a part of the Indian team participating in the under-17 Fifa World Cup, blaming bickering between sports association members.

"The U-17 Indian team does not have a Goan player. That is not because we are not talented, that is because our associations are better than us politicians in fighting among themselves," Parrikar said.

The global tournament featuring teams from 24 countries, which will being hosted by several Indian states, including Goa, kicks off on October 6.