GOAN FOOTBALL - IN GOA & KUWAIT. V
My main reason for the total support for the inception of our soccer at Sour Grounds is to see benefits for our young boys and keep them busy and occupied in something which is more beneficial. The benefits for our boys surely met with mainly in the field of jobs. Though we are not having soccer teams of commercial organizations like what we have in Goa as Dempo, Sesa, Salgaocar yet many of our Goans who are employed in their organizations and holding top positions and involved in running our teams they did help some of our boys in getting employment. For example, Peter D’Souza started his team "Salmiya Youth" and thru his power as General Manager he helped many young boys to get employment in Bosch. Even Room boys, Scavengers, Coolies who were working elsewhere in Kuwait, for them he gave decent jobs in his organization and made them dignified human beings who later on got dignified girls to get married. Another example, Willy Gomes who died recently was a top man in Tanagra Company. He was instrumental in helping the running of the famous team "Goan Sporting". Hence, he employed under him some young footballers in Tanagra and these boys not only played good football for the then mighty Goan Sporting but they also became somebody in life. Royal Agnelo from Agacaim too helped so many boys in so many ways because they were playing for his team "Royal" which won so many laurels. These are only a few examples but besides these there are so many other examples where many of our boys got jobs only because of their soccer skill, so also very many other benefits such as Financial Doles, Visas for Eployment, Visas for their Wives, Expenses for their Weddings, Honeymoon Trips for the newly Wedded Couples, Stamping of Residence Permits, Loans etc.
Before the inception of our soccer, only few Goans holding lucrative posts and those associated with Kuwait Goan and Goan Arts Circle Associations were getting limelight in society but when, once, in 1979 our soccer was initiated, many others with mediocre status and those who were earlier unknown started getting prominence and popularity in society because of their involvement in soccer either as players or as organizers. This soccer of ours has changed total outlook of Goans in Kuwait. Earlier there was too much of discriminations amongst us based on financial, job and social status. I myself for example started getting more limelight in Kuwait not only because of my writings and other activities but also because of my high caliber football playing capacity. During those days I was in top form and best in my position when in 1980 Kuwait Goan selection was calculated, I was one of the 11 effective players in that bracket. In 1983-84 season when our team G.O.A. Maroons defeated Hubara Club consisting of Europeans and Kuwaitis in the semifinal played under floodlights, Walley Tate of Hubara Club who refereed that most memorable and grueling game in the history of expatriates in Kuwait, next day wrote in Arab Times thus: “The midfield generalisimo Veronica of GOA Maroon won the match for Goans”. Though I did not score a single goal out of 3-2 yet I played daringly, intelligently, coolly and beautifully with the strong support of mighty Lucas, Agnu, Santimano and others. Our beautiful goals were scored by Tony Correia and Gilbert and besides them all others played excellently but I was selected for high praises by the soccer expert Mr. Tate because of my prowess in rowing from one end to the other tirelessly, supplying and controlling, defending and attacking.
Finally we won the final and championship and created a history for Goans which nobody will change, every Goan should be proud of it. In the final we defeated UG in the penalty shoot-out in which acrobatic Julio Cardoso brought in good saves from under the bar of G.O.A. Maroons. Highest plaudits must go to Raymond D'Sa the young President of G.O.A. for giving full encouragement for the boys, so also to his brother Assumption D'Sa, Peter D'Souza, Messias Barreto, John Felix D'Souza, Gabriel Soares, Pascoal Soares, Domnick Correia and John Gracias who all comprised the most powerful Club Committe ever had in Kuwait amongst all the past and present Goan Clubs. I too was a part of that glorious committee of as one of the initiators of G.O.A. I was a part of the history creator footballer Goans. That night for the semifinal I saw first time Goans even at 12.00 in the night waited and supported us against the Whites. It was like a war between Goans and Whites. Never I witnessed such an enthusiasm and patriotism amongst Goans in favour of their brothers. That was the rare occasion. Tony Costa from Saligao and the current referee at Sour Grounds was most vociferous in his support for us from the sidelines. Within a night, the entire team became darling of the community and gained maximum popularity which is also essential in life. Football is very essential for an unknown person to become known. Football is very essential for gaining popularity in life. Football gives to a player something which he normally does not get in life however backward attributes he may have otherwise. Football gives an identity to an unidentified person. Why football only? Any sporting activity is an added feather in one's cap. Black Negro Pele would never become world famous person if it was not for his football prowess. Instead he would remain just a Negro neglected by the society.
In Kuwait, our Sour ground soccer is administered by KIFF. But what type of administrators are we having? Do we have knowledgeable administrators to run our soccer? I doubt. Sometime back one player was suspended by KIFF for some misdemeanour. When I asked one of the committee members, say Mr. X, under what clause the player was suspended and was that suspension matching with the fault? Mr. X told me "I don’t know why our committee took such a harsh decision without valid reason for such an action but I supported their decision because everybody in the committee wanted it. Hence, I too blindly supported that decision". This is called “a blind following another blind”. What good one can expect from such people and such committees? For this reason such idotic community members are not doing anything worthwhile for the good of the community because any Ladru - Pedru without basic knowledge of soccer and its laws are pushing themselves in the committee. I feel ashamed of their cheapness. If I dont have any knowledge of the subject then I would shamelessly not join in such an organisation. And for that matter why should I when I am not interested in cheap publicity with cheap photographs in the media? I am not intellectually bankrupt like many.
Once a few years back, The General Secretary of All India Football Federation, a Goan Mr. Alberto Colaco was invited by KIFF to Kuwait as a guest of honour. During one of the preliminary meetings in Kuwait of KIFF to take stock of Colaco’s visit, I a non member of KIFF was invited officially as an observer. During the deliberations, one of the so called stalwarts asked one question thus: “Why we are inviting Colaco to Kuwait? What benefit we will get from his visit?” As an observer I had no right to speak but given a chance I would talk like this: “Shut up and dont ask such silly questions. Alberto Colaco is the history amongst Goans for being the first and only Goan to reach to this position and as such we as Goans should be proud of him. Alberto Colaco is not only admired in Kuwait by Kuwaitis but he is also adored for his excellence. Kuwaitis will be astonished to know that Alberto Colaco is a Goan and hence the status of Goans would go up in Kuwait”. And finally this was what has happened. When Alberto Colaco reached Kuwait, Kuwait Football Federation immediately took possession of him, gave him a Limousine for his moving about in Kuwait and housed him at Kuwait Sheraton Hotel like a VIP. He was treated in Kuwait with high respect like any other top Indian diplomat. So many top politicians come to Kuwait but their visits go unnoticed in the eyes of Kuwaitis. They come as cockroaches and go also as cockroaches. But Alberto Colaco brought an honour for us. Alberto Colaco brought an honour for our Kuwait foot-ball and moreover for all of us who are involved in this soccer directly or indirectly. A man of Alberto Colaco's stature coming to grace our soccer occasion in Kuwait means the display of the magnitude of our Kuwait Goan soccer. Who can understand this philosophy? Only few. The rest are idiots. And these are the people who are ruling our soccer body.
To be concluded.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
