November 7, 2025

Panaji buzzes with football fever! The Goa Football Association (GFA) runs nearly 1,300 matches every season, making it the busiest state football body in India. Of these matches, more than half—56%—are buzzing with young talents in youth games. But here’s the catch: Goa has a mere 115 match officials to manage these matches, and only six have reached the national level. The only FIFA referee in the state right now is Tejas Nagvenkar. Feeling the pinch, the GFA has joined hands with Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS) to boost the number of trained referees. Starting November 9, they launch a thrilling Match Officials’ Workshop at the GFA office in Fatorda. Melwin D’Costa, GFA’s head of refereeing, told TOI, "We want to educate (referees) and train them, so that they can move to a higher level. We want to be self-sufficient in the future." The workshop promises a power-packed curriculum over three exciting FIFA international windows: November 2025, January, and March next year. Topics include laws of the game, fitness tips, positioning, game management, sharp communication, and the latest in technology. Most participants are young referees under 30, who will be guided closely for 18 months. After training, these officials will get a golden ticket to AIFF-certified national refereeing levels. But refereeing isn’t a walk in the park. Melwin shares, "Refereeing is not an easy job. We have to come up with instant decisions on the field of play. There is a lot of criticism, that’s why many are hesitant to take up the role. I am moving from north to south to convince young people, mostly physical education teachers, to take to refereeing." The workshop’s star instructors include Melwin himself and AIFF referee instructor Maria Rebello, who will lead the opening session. This program also feeds into RFYS’s need for skilled officials to run their yearly Reliance Foundation Development League across India. A RFYS official said, "Our partnership with the GFA ensures that these aspiring referees don’t just receive training but also gain real match experience in Reliance Foundation tournaments and other tournaments hosted in Goa." RFYS plans to weave these refreshed referees into competitions starting from youthful levels like Under-7 to Under-17, climbing up to the Under-21 Development League, the Goa Professional League, and all the way to senior-level matches. Since 2023, Reliance Foundation has been a big cheerleader for match officials’ growth, conducting nine women’s match official workshops across the country — an 18-day effort that helped level up over 230 officials. As the RFYS official puts it, "This exposure across all levels, regions shall eventually help in growing the match-official ecosystem as an integral part of football development in the country." So, with the whistle set to blow louder and stronger, Goan football is gearing up to add more sharp-eyed, tough, and smart referees to its vibrant football frenzy!

Read More at Timesofindia →

Tags: Goa football association, Match Officials, Football Referees, Reliance Foundation Youth Sports, Aiff, Football Development,