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Football matches in Goa under match-fixing spotlight yet again | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: A year after Goan football was shamed with reports of suspicious betting patterns indicative of match-fixing in the Goa Professional League, there is now more trouble for the state sport.
The Goa Football Association has informed its executive committee members and all participating clubs that matches in the league are either fixed or manipulated.
“Since the start of the season, our data and integrity partners Genius Sports have alerted us to several matches which they have strong indications have been fixed and/or otherwise manipulated for betting purposes. This is simply unacceptable,” GFA general secretary Jovito Lopes wrote in a confidential note to members on Tuesday.
According to sources, at least three matches in the ongoing Goa Professional League have come under the scanner for alleged match-fixing.
Reports of suspicious betting patterns and alleged match-fixing in Goan football comes a year after GFA was alerted by another betting watchdog, London-based Sportradar, that six games played between October 16, 2019 and November 19, 2019 were highly suspicious.
“These things should not happen in football, but we do not have any proof right now. We will see what happens. It is not the clubs (who are involved in match-fixing), but players could be directly involved,” GFA president Churchill Alemao told TOI.
One of the suspicious matches is understood to be a clash between defending champions Churchill Brothers FC and Salgaocar FC on February 2. The match was goalless until the 63rd minute when Salgaocar broke the deadlock and went on to score five in the next 27 minutes.
Alemao, who owns Churchill Brothers, was incensed with his team’s performance and later made changes to the coaching staff.
“The players who didn’t play well were not given a chance again. We brought in Armando (Colaco) who is a very good coach and he has soon improved the team. We want him for next season as well,” said Alemao.
Those who have watched the games regularly this season say several other matches are being looked at suspiciously with players either having an easy run towards the rival goal, or even scoring own goals.
The GFA has now started collecting evidence and asked all stakeholders to come forward, if they were approached, or if they were in the know of malpractices.
“The GFA is treating such evidence with the highest levels of importance and urgency and, alongside Genius Sports, are in the process of investigating each match in accordance with GFA’s new Ethics Code,” said Lopes.
The Ethics Code was adopted at last week’s executive committee meeting.
“Every participant and stakeholder in football in Goa is responsible for maintaining the integrity of our matches and competitions, without which football in the region shall quickly lose all credibility and commercial opportunities,” said Lopes, adding that competitions committee chairman Dominic Pereira has been appointed as a single point contact for all integrity matters.
For a year since the match-fixing suspicions were red-flagged, the GFA did not initiate a probe or move ahead with its investigation. There was one probe that saw the association point an accusing finger at its own partner.
Till last week, matches were being played behind closed doors at the Duler Football Stadium in Mapusa due to the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 12 teams are taking part in a single leg format with 66 matches being lined-up.
Even though fans were not allowed, the Goa Pro League has drawn big interest with live broadcast for every match this season.

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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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