16 athletes from Goa for Lusofonia Games

The Lusofonia Games' athletic contingent from India will include 16 athletes from Goa.
The national athletes will consist of 29 men and 33 women, according to Goa Athletic Association (GAA) senior vice-president, Gurudas Natekar and general secretary Paresh Kamat.
Speaking to reporters, 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 prior to Lusofonia Games, from September 26 to October 27 at Peddem ground, Mapusa.
"Our aim is to secure atleast 20 medals. A dope testing laboratory will also be set up," stated Kamat.

The Goan squad comprises 11 men :Irfan Sheikh, Anik Naik, Andy Fernandes, Himanshu Velingkar, Casisus Fernandes, Siddarth Gad, Vikas Velip, Jovito Fernandes, Francisco Element, Shankar Dhamdhay, Hurber D'Souza. While the women are: 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 from November 2-10 in Goa.