Elected GFA president, Valanka is first woman to head state football association in India

Panaji: Valanka Alemao has become the first woman to head a state football association in India after she was elected president of Goa Football Association (GFA).The Churchill Brothers CEO, first to be elected an executive committee member of All India Football Federation (AIFF) in 2022, has now added another incredible first, defeating incumbent GFA president Caitano Fernandes during elections held in the city on Tuesday.Valanka picked up 83 of the 150 valid votes, while Caitano received 67. A total of 10 votes were declared invalid by the presiding officer due to “overwriting and double marking”.Her stunning victory means she is now the first woman to be elected president of any state football association in India. At least two other women—Mridula Amit Ranjan Dev (Madhya Pradesh FA) and Tsering Angmo (Ladakh FA)—hold important positions as secretaries, but no woman has contested and won an election for the top post in any state football body.“Hats off to all those who supported me as we pulled off this victory in just three days,” Valanka told TOI after her triumph on Tuesday. “All the clubs came together to support and that means a lot to me. The big clubs gave their blessing. They believed in my capabilities. They’ve seen what I have done in football. It’s not like I’ve emerged from nowhere.”Valanka is the first woman CEO of a top-tier club, a position she has held for more than a decade at Churchill Brothers, owned by her family. She is also the first woman to be included in the FIFA women’s development committee and now the first woman GFA president in the 67-year history of the association.“This is about gender equality. My family has always stood firmly behind me. My father (Churchill Alemao) and brother have always taught me that if you are capable, if you are dedicated, if you really wantto do something, go for it. I would say my election as GFA president is a victory of the Goan people, a victory for transparency, a victory for accountability, a victory for Goan football. This is also a result of what my father has done for Goan football,” said Valanka.Valanka follows in her father Churchill Alemao’s footsteps. A former chief minister, he was president of GFA between 2018 and 2022, while her uncle and Alemao’s brother, Joaquim, was president of the state football body for two terms in 1999 and 2007, besides being a member and vice-president of AIFF.Caitano had defeated Alemao’s son, Savio, to become president in 2022.The Alemao family has been running a professional football team since 1989 and has won all the trophies that matter in Indian football. Churchill Bros won the I-League twice and made it to the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) this season after taking over Tata-owned Jamshedpur FC.Valanka was also elected as GFA vice-president (woman) after she put it across Kajol Mangueshkar 85-35. Andrew Ferrao (81 votes) and Antonio Pango (77) were elected as the two other vice-presidents, while Schubert Furtado (86) edged out Ravi Cabral (66) for the treasurer’s post.Manjitha Mathkar (71 votes) finished ahead of Kajol K Mangueshkar (41) for the lone post reserved for a woman in the executive committee, while Anthony Fernandes, Constancio Rodrigues, Cosme Oliveira, Levino Pereira, and Laxman Hadfadkar completed the executive committee line-up.The elections saw 100% voting with 158 clubs and two sportspersons of outstanding merit (SOM)—Bruno Coutinho and Maria Rebello—turning up to vote.Besides Valanka, only six other voters—Liberata Mascarenhas (Ave Maria Athletic & Walkers Club), Sunita Sawant (Goa Police), Priya T Kholkar (Siddheshwar SCC), Royla Fernandes (Sporting Club Cana Benaulim), Ancilla Britto (Velsao Sports & Cultural Club), and Maria Rebello (outstanding footballer)—were women.GFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPresident: Valanka Alemao. Vice-president (woman): Valanka Alemao. Vice-presidents: Andrew Ferrao, Antonio Pango. Treasurer: Schubert Furtado. Executive committee members: Manjitha Mathkar (woman), Anthony Fernandes, Constancio Rodrigues, Cosme Oliveira, Levino Pereira, Laxman HadfadkarYou Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Goa | Silver Rate in Goa | Bank Holidays in Goa | Public Holidays in Goa | Petrol Price in GoaStay updated with the latest Goa news. Download the TOI App.