Lector Mascarenhas, Dempo’s new GS, sets top goal for the club

Panaji: Dempo Sports Club have confirmed the appointment of Lector Mascarenhas as their new general secretary. A former international, Lector played for Dempo between 1985 and 1989, before moving to Customs & Central Excise.

He was the assistant commissioner, Central Goods and Service Tax at the Margao divisional office at the time of his retirement in 2021. “It feels great to be back at Dempo,” said Lector, a member of the Goa squad that won the Santosh Trophy in 1984. “I am honoured and privileged to be appointed as general secretary. At Dempo, I played my best football. After so many years I am back here.” Lector was also part of the India squad for Super Soccer matches against the visiting Sao Paolo FC from Brazil in 1984 and 1989.Chairman of Dempo, Shrinivas Dempo, welcomed Lector back to the club.

“Lector is a multifaceted person and his vast experience as a top-class football player as well as his administrative experience will undoubtedly help to raise the standard of the DSC Academy, the Pro-league and I-league teams,” said Shrinivas.Disciplined and organised, Lector is not new to football administration, having served as general secretary at the Goa Football Association (GFA) in 2022-23, after Caitano Fernandes was elected as the president.

“The priority is to see that Dempo is at the top again. Given my experience as a player and secretary and even in my dept (at Customs and Excise), I feel I fit the role,” said Lector. Five-time national champions Dempo returned to the I-League last season. Coached by Samir Naik, Dempo even managed to reach the second spot in the standings after the first five rounds with only three foreign signings instead of the maximum six.

However, injuries and transfers saw them go through a rough phase, but they eventually finished strongly in seventh place. Their key focus in the past decade has been the residential academy in Ella, Old Goa, which has produced promising talent. Recently, their very own Jodric Abranches was the only representative from Goa in India’s SAFF U-19 winning campaign with Bibiano Fernandes as coach. “I have to oversee objectives, especially the residential academy.

There is nothing better than an academy. The academy is a place where you get everything, technical part, discipline, diet. It’s a great opportunity to look into it, so that we can continue producing quality players,” said Lector. Lector has signed a one-year contract with Dempo which can be reviewed and re-signed annually. “I would need time to see what is happening at the club. But of course, I feel I will be in a position to interact with youngsters and motivate them as well. Having achieved off the field, in that sense I can be of help to them,” said Lector.