The Lusofonia Games’ athletic contingent from India will include 16 athletes from Goa.
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.