GOAN FOOTBALL – IN GOA & KUWAIT….. I.
The biggest individual sports that attracts the biggest attention of the global people is Soccer. In no other sports people participate more than in soccer. This is the only sports where more money is spent. FIFA the main governing body of soccer around the globe is engulfing in its fold more member countries than UNO. Without having any Veto Power or any atomic or hydrogen weapon in its armory, FIFA wield more power over its member states than UNO. The president of FIFA is more influential than the Chief of UNO. Once the then FIFA President Joao Havalange was invited by King Hassan of Morocco to discuss hosting of World Cup in Morocco. When Havalange went to meet the Moroccan King in his Palace at Rabat, Havalange was made to seat for a while inside the King’s parlour. Havalange got annoyed, so too his aides for making them seat for a while. Then one of the aids of Havalange uttered the following words “King Hassan of Morocco is the King of only one country Morocco but Joao Havalange is the King of all the countries in the world and as such he deserves more preferential treatment”. There is not a single country in the world where there is no soccer played. It engulfs in its fold elite as well as commoners yet it is called the game of masses.
History gives different versions of the inventors of soccer. Chinese history said that the first object similar to soccer ball in a smaller size was kicked and played in China while Italians said they are the real inventors of this game and British also claimed the invention of the game of soccer. But one thing is certain that British were responsible for the spread and development of soccer all around the globe. In Bharat it was inducted and spread by the British while in Goa Portuguese colonizers were the architects of the spread of “jogo” football in Goa. During the Portuguese regime in Goa especially in the mid fifties there were so many foot-ball teams in Goa playing so beautiful soccer, they were dominated by Portuguese players both whites and negroes. Anybody remembers Bemfica, Academica, Bicholim, Ferroviares, Goa Police? Anybody remembers the 5 Portuguese “Pakles” playing for Salgaocars in 1961? Anybody remembers the genius Arantel of Vasco? Once, Vasco's big man Parkot told us that he has not seen any player like Arantel even on TV’s worldwide coverage.
Does anybody know that Candolim Village Team in 1959 when it was promoted to Primeira Divisao, it had the strength of 4 top Portuguese Pakle players from Aguada? And what was their calibre? They were just superb. When they were practicing at our village football ground, I was many times acting as their Ballboy and thereby watching them minutely. Many of the Portuguese players were inspirations for our Goan players. It is they who inspired Goan youth to play beautiful soccer. We Goans must be grateful to them. Soon after the exit of Portuguese from Goa, our Goa team first time participated in the Indian National Santosh Trophy Soccer Tournament held in Madras where Goa thru chicanery of Bengalis was forced to bow down in the penultimate stage. National Press sensing injustice done to Goa voiced its opinion saying “Goans thought other Indians how to play constructive and beautiful soccer. If Indian National Team wants to improve its rating then it must send its National team to Goa to gain finer points in soccer”.
At that time Goa had great players in its fold namely, as goalies: Benjinho of Railways – Pompeii & Peter Gomes of Salgaocars; in the backline rocky type players Menino Figueredo and Caetano Papa both of Salgaocars; in the midfield Candu Abreu who made mockery of great Goan Olympian Neville D’Souza at Mapusa Duler ground in 1960 when Neville came to Goa with Bombay Goans outfit to play some friendlies by checking every move of Nevile; in the forward line Vasco’s Andrew and Salgaocars Eustaquio were invincible. Where else we can get now players like defender Menino Figueredo, midfielder Candu Abreu and forwards Andrew and Eustaqio? Eustaquio had the biggest distinction of scoring goals direct from Corner kicks. He was from Calangute. And what about goalie Benjinho? Goa is yet to produce such a genius whose physical appearance looked like that of Germany’s Oliver Kahn. Because they were all giants they could get a chance to represent Goa during Portuguese time inspite of stiff competition from Portuguese Pakle’s and Negroes. My late brother Jose Marie once was selected to play for Bardez selection in the midst of stiff competition from Pakles and Negroes mainly because of his exceptional telent in the aerial duels. I am yet to see in Goa who could emulate his heading prowess. For corner kicks he would come running from nowhere and jump to any height and with mathematical precision powerfully headthe ball into the goal. Once at Duler ground, one Paklo goalkeeper out of desperation, instead of punching the ball for safety punched his head. My other brother Cheddo got a chance to play for Goa Police Soccer Team during Portuguese time inspite of stiff competition from Pakles and Negroes only because of his exceptionally high proficiency in scoring goals from any angle with both the legs with equal ease. If I am not mistaken, during those days he was one of the rear Goans to play along with Portuguese Pakles and Khapris.
When Bemfica from Portugal and Lourenco Marques from Mozambique visited Goa, only the extremely good Goan players got chance in the midst of very stiff competition from Portuguese players to represent Goa. Goan Benjinho was an automatic choice under Goa’s bar. That was the strength of our Goan brother Benjinho. If it is now, he would without any hesitation automatically fit into India XI. They were naturally gifted players. They were not trained by coaches graduated from Patiala. Soccer coaches are not produced at Patiala, only PT Masters are produced there. Goan players had natural gift of playing artistic and great soccer. The traditional Goan village based sportsmen had no need to do special physical exercises, their family businesses, traditional family trades and traditional family work was enough to gain physical fitness. For a traditional “Nistekar” running on the beach day and night after his “Rampon” and “Vogo”, for a “Paddai-i” and a “Render” climbing on hundreds of “Madd” daily, for a “Xetkar” and “Zotkar” who is toiling day and night in the fields with his “Zoth – Kudou & Forem” they do not need especial exercises to maintain physical fitness. And I know the fitness of such people because I played with them and ran with them in Athletics. Inspite of my doing daily morning and evening practices during my hey days as sportsman, on the Beach and on the Mountains still I was unable to match with their physical fitness.
I started my soccer career at an early age but faded also at an early age due to chronic injury of getting “muscle pull”. More than soccer, I was best in athletics being Individual Champion of Goa at All Goa School level, Junior Individual Champion at All Goa level and Arpora School Champion. My individual items were running namely 100 mtrs, 200, 400 mtrs. and 800 mtrs. at all Goa level plus 2 Relays 100 x 4 and 400 x 4. I had the distinction of being unchallengeable in my items and 100 mtres was my most favourite, in it I even created a record for Goa being the fastest runner of Goa. I don’t know if anybody shattered it after me. When I first time represented Candolim Village team in soccer, I was just a 13 year old boy having a physique of 19 year old muscular man. When I first played for my village team that year our village team had gigantic players with name and fame all around Goa. Two of them were my elder brothers Cheddo and the late Jose Marie, it was in that year that we became Bardez Champion at Mapusa Duler Ground. When I first played at Duler Ground, many of my colleagues from Candolim had not even seen Mapusa football ground. During Portuguese time Duler ground had its unique importance. Every visiting team used to play first match there. Playing on Duler Ground during those days was like getting a feeling that you played at Wembly in England or Maracana in Brazil. At a very early age I acquired this feeling which gave me a strong psychological booster to play on any ground anywhere in Goa and India without any inferiority complex.
The other important thing is this that I had great distinction to play soccer against those great Goan soccer stalwarts as indicated above, namely Andrew of Vasco, Eustaquio, Candu Abreu and Menino Figueredo of Salgaocars, Benjinho of Railways and many other greats. Incidentally when they were on peak of their form or receding I was just starting my career for Sesa Goa Football Team in the second division before promoting into Senior division. Earlier I represented Chowgule’s soccer team in the second division and from there Sesa Goa picked me up. For some years I was captaining the then great Arpora School soccer team and later on of St. Xaviers College, Mapusa. If Goa is having a solid base of constructive and attractive soccer then the credit must go to the Portuguese regime, Portuguese Pakles and Portuguese Negroes. I am yet to see anywhere in the world another player, a forward, like the one of Mapusa Bemfica’s Negro during the last days of Portuguese era in Goa. Secondly if Goa is having a strong base of artistic and competitive soccer at All India level now, then the credit must also go for the yesteryears Goan foot-ballers who laid a very good base for others and created a very good tradition for the new generations to emulate. The yesteryears footballers played very impressive soccer purely for the love of foot-ball and not for the love and greed for money.
During their days the yesteryears players were hardly getting any remuneration to play soccer, some of them spending money from their own pockets. The only benefits for some of them were the facility of jobs and that too not of very high salary. None of the present days footballers who earn 10, 15, 20 lakhs of rupees in Goa per season can come closer to those days great players in sheer artistry of soccer. Today Goan players are not playing big football but today big money is playing football in Goa. In fact Goa is yet to produce another Benjinho in the goal, Goa is yet to produce another Menino Figueredo in the backline, Goa is yet to produce another Candu Abreu in the midfield and Goa is yet to produce another Andrew in the forwardline. Anybody remembers them and anybody is interested in doing anything to keep their memory alive while they are living? Or I myself alone barking from Kuwait in praise of them? And who can ever forget the magnificent role played by those days’ Goan soccer administrators who gave their life for the promotion and upliftment of Goan soccer by applying smooth and clean administration? Anybody is remembering Dr. Gustavo Monteiro from Candolim, the first Goan President of GFA? Anybody is remembering Dr. Remizio Pinto from Caranzalem who like a mad man gave his life for GFA and Goan soccer? They were the real soccer administrators who worked tirelessly without getting reciprocal financial compensation. Is there anyone in our midst to keep their memory alive by instituting something in their names?
To be concluded.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
