Goa to send 16 athletes for Lusofonia Games

Panaji, Aug 10: The Lusofonia Games' athletic contingent from India will include 16

from

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The national team will consist of 29 men and 33 women, according to the Goa Athletic Association (GAA) senior Vice-President Gurudas Natekar and General Secretary Paresh Kamat.

Speaking to presspersons, Kamat said the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will send 62 athletes, five coaches, two managers, one observer and a physiotherapist.

The athletes will arrive in Goa on September 25 and a month's residential coaching camp will be conducted for the selected athletes from September 26 to October 27 at Peddem ground, Mapusa.

"Our aim is to secure at least 20 medals. A dope testing laboratory will also be set up," stated Kamat.

The Goa men's squad: Irfan Sheikh, Anik Naik, Andy Fernandes, Himanshu Velingkar, Casisus Fernandes, Siddarth Gad, Vikas Velip, Jovito Fernandes, Francisco Element, Shankar Dhamdhay and Hurber D'Souza. The women's team: Tallualah Braganza, Nitish Gaokar, Sharnifa Lobo, Kajol Vernekar and Desirree Pereira.

The support staff include Vrunda Vernekar, Patrick Soares, P. D. Shashikumar (all coaches); Digamber Narvekar (assistant coach); Rohidas Kadam, Durgesh Gaonkar, Juliet Abrahim, Sarika Naik, Shailesh Surlekar (all managers); and Sushant Naik (co-ordinator).

The Lusofonia Games 2013 will be held in Goa from November 2-10.

PTI