It is with deep grief and regret I pen down these few lines to express my sorrow over the sudden death yesterday of Patrick Santimano and to describe him as I know him during the last so many years in Goa as well as in Kuwait.
Normally Santimano families are concentrated in Colva Salcette and Patrick Santimano is not an exception. I first time came in contact with him at Arpora when I was a newly enrolled student there at St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora, in 1962 June. Patrick was staying at Arpora in the same ward where our school was located with his parents and other members of family though originally he came from Colva. Like me he too was a day scholar. For some years we were class mates occupying the same bench, our companionship lasted till we reached ninth standard when he left Arpora and joined Holy Spirit at Margao. Holy Spirit was erected under the dynamic leadership of Fr. Furtado who earlier was on forefront at Arpora School because Fr. Mendonca the real principal of Arpora School was blacklisted by the Government of India for being pro-Portuguese. Though Fr. Mendonca was practically controlling the affairs of the school as de facto Principal but Fr. Furtado was acting as titular head of the school.
As a student Patrick Santimano was doing well but was always jovial, comedian and entertaining to others. Jokes were his way of life. Even in class he was always making other students and even our teachers laugh and hence he was considered as darling of the class and even of the students in the school. Because of his jovial and fun loving nature he was very much known in school.
He was good in sports and used to take part along with me in athletics and soccer which was his forte. We both together played for school junior football team and after he left Arpora we played against each other when our school teams clashed in Subroto Jr. qualifying tournament at Bambolim Millitary soccer ground where we lost and that too because Patrick Santimano played an excellent game that day for his school. He was a good defender and his height helped him a lot to control the ball in the aerial duels.
Then when I came to Kuwait I met him at Sour Grounds and our first contact was in 1979 when United Goans Center established our competitive soccer activities for Goans in particular and Indians in general. He was the member of the then mighty UG outfit donning the colours of UG under their bar. This was a surprise for me because earlier I never saw him playing as a goalkeeper. However, he in this position excelled very well. Even when UG first time played in the final of Forest of Dean RA Trophy at Ahmadi against the then European dominated mighty Hubara Club, Patrick Santimano was manning Goan citadel under UG bar and to everyone’s surprise doing well even though UG lost the final.
Many of his laurels as a footballer he won under UG in Kuwait because that time UG was a powerhouse and it was not membered by any “Bebdo” and “Chor” who tried to rob the kitty of KIFF. He joined UG not to avail of the opportunity to contest the election for the presidency of Sports body. He joined UG to promote the message of UG that is “friendship thru sports” and not to prmote destruction of sportsmen thru sports. It was a man like the late Patrick Santimano who brought honour, name and fame for UG that time. He joined UG not because he was sacked from his village club for misappropriating the funds of Village Club but he joined UG since its inception purely out of love for soccer and to promote goodwill among community members and soccer fraternity. His jovial nature and smiling face attracted many supporters and admirers for UG. Later on when he and others like him left UG, the credibility of UG gone down tremendously and day by day it is going down more and more.
Many times we both of us used to discuss many topics of common interest at Sour Grounds. In reality he did not like quarrels and controversies. In 1980 when his Club UG unnecessarily suspended the then mighty G.O.A. Maroons, Patrick Santimano felt very bad and his feelings he shared with me. The actual foundation stone laid down for the disputes amongst Goans at Sour Grounds was in 1980 by UG when UG under Two Tonys suspended Maroons without much basis. It was purely a decision taken on vindictive grounds by both the Tonys of UG, later on one blaming the other. The match was between Lawry Pinto’s Flying Arrows and G.O.A. Maroons. When Maroons scored the first goal, referee blew his whistle for goal and it was a very right decision. But when Lawry Pinto’s Mangalorean and Bombaikar rowdies started creating commotion with the referee for allowing this goal, referee changed his decision which Maroons objected. Game was halted for a while and when Maroons insisted with referee that he should abide by his first given decision, referee with the advice of one Tony blew his long whistle and gave the match to Lawry Pinto’s rowdies. Then the hell broke out at Sour Grounds between the two warring factions, this dispute lasted for many years and the seeds of disputes and enmity laid by UG then against Maroons were carried forwarded by other teams and clubs. That was the first dispute erupted at Sour Grounds which our late Patrick Santimano said was very hurting. It was UG that actually initiated confusion amongst Goans at Sour Grounds. This is the history as I know.
Patrick Santimano was a great lover of Tiatro not only watching Tiatros but also acting. In Arpora School he was the regular participant in the school annual Tiatros where he used to sing solos and duos. Even in Kuwait in late seventies he acted and rendered solos in the tiatro held at Church hall.
He was a great lover of Goa and "Mae Bhas Konkani". A non-controversial man he liked to be friend and colleague to everyone. He was a soft hearted man with kindness towards everyone. Soor Ground was his second home where he was regular on Fridays and even at this age he never stopped playing but when opportunity found he played for veterans.
In his death we lost a good sportsman. May his soul rest in peace and may the Heavenly Father give courage for his family to bear this colossal loss.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Normally Santimano families are concentrated in Colva Salcette and Patrick Santimano is not an exception. I first time came in contact with him at Arpora when I was a newly enrolled student there at St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora, in 1962 June. Patrick was staying at Arpora in the same ward where our school was located with his parents and other members of family though originally he came from Colva. Like me he too was a day scholar. For some years we were class mates occupying the same bench, our companionship lasted till we reached ninth standard when he left Arpora and joined Holy Spirit at Margao. Holy Spirit was erected under the dynamic leadership of Fr. Furtado who earlier was on forefront at Arpora School because Fr. Mendonca the real principal of Arpora School was blacklisted by the Government of India for being pro-Portuguese. Though Fr. Mendonca was practically controlling the affairs of the school as de facto Principal but Fr. Furtado was acting as titular head of the school.
As a student Patrick Santimano was doing well but was always jovial, comedian and entertaining to others. Jokes were his way of life. Even in class he was always making other students and even our teachers laugh and hence he was considered as darling of the class and even of the students in the school. Because of his jovial and fun loving nature he was very much known in school.
He was good in sports and used to take part along with me in athletics and soccer which was his forte. We both together played for school junior football team and after he left Arpora we played against each other when our school teams clashed in Subroto Jr. qualifying tournament at Bambolim Millitary soccer ground where we lost and that too because Patrick Santimano played an excellent game that day for his school. He was a good defender and his height helped him a lot to control the ball in the aerial duels.
Then when I came to Kuwait I met him at Sour Grounds and our first contact was in 1979 when United Goans Center established our competitive soccer activities for Goans in particular and Indians in general. He was the member of the then mighty UG outfit donning the colours of UG under their bar. This was a surprise for me because earlier I never saw him playing as a goalkeeper. However, he in this position excelled very well. Even when UG first time played in the final of Forest of Dean RA Trophy at Ahmadi against the then European dominated mighty Hubara Club, Patrick Santimano was manning Goan citadel under UG bar and to everyone’s surprise doing well even though UG lost the final.
Many of his laurels as a footballer he won under UG in Kuwait because that time UG was a powerhouse and it was not membered by any “Bebdo” and “Chor” who tried to rob the kitty of KIFF. He joined UG not to avail of the opportunity to contest the election for the presidency of Sports body. He joined UG to promote the message of UG that is “friendship thru sports” and not to prmote destruction of sportsmen thru sports. It was a man like the late Patrick Santimano who brought honour, name and fame for UG that time. He joined UG not because he was sacked from his village club for misappropriating the funds of Village Club but he joined UG since its inception purely out of love for soccer and to promote goodwill among community members and soccer fraternity. His jovial nature and smiling face attracted many supporters and admirers for UG. Later on when he and others like him left UG, the credibility of UG gone down tremendously and day by day it is going down more and more.
Many times we both of us used to discuss many topics of common interest at Sour Grounds. In reality he did not like quarrels and controversies. In 1980 when his Club UG unnecessarily suspended the then mighty G.O.A. Maroons, Patrick Santimano felt very bad and his feelings he shared with me. The actual foundation stone laid down for the disputes amongst Goans at Sour Grounds was in 1980 by UG when UG under Two Tonys suspended Maroons without much basis. It was purely a decision taken on vindictive grounds by both the Tonys of UG, later on one blaming the other. The match was between Lawry Pinto’s Flying Arrows and G.O.A. Maroons. When Maroons scored the first goal, referee blew his whistle for goal and it was a very right decision. But when Lawry Pinto’s Mangalorean and Bombaikar rowdies started creating commotion with the referee for allowing this goal, referee changed his decision which Maroons objected. Game was halted for a while and when Maroons insisted with referee that he should abide by his first given decision, referee with the advice of one Tony blew his long whistle and gave the match to Lawry Pinto’s rowdies. Then the hell broke out at Sour Grounds between the two warring factions, this dispute lasted for many years and the seeds of disputes and enmity laid by UG then against Maroons were carried forwarded by other teams and clubs. That was the first dispute erupted at Sour Grounds which our late Patrick Santimano said was very hurting. It was UG that actually initiated confusion amongst Goans at Sour Grounds. This is the history as I know.
Patrick Santimano was a great lover of Tiatro not only watching Tiatros but also acting. In Arpora School he was the regular participant in the school annual Tiatros where he used to sing solos and duos. Even in Kuwait in late seventies he acted and rendered solos in the tiatro held at Church hall.
He was a great lover of Goa and "Mae Bhas Konkani". A non-controversial man he liked to be friend and colleague to everyone. He was a soft hearted man with kindness towards everyone. Soor Ground was his second home where he was regular on Fridays and even at this age he never stopped playing but when opportunity found he played for veterans.
In his death we lost a good sportsman. May his soul rest in peace and may the Heavenly Father give courage for his family to bear this colossal loss.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
