Formation of KIFF a quarter of a century back was the need of the hour. J.P. D’Mello the soccer law wizard and the soccer umpire of international repute who during that short period was working in Kuwait at Kremenco and guiding our soccer activities at Sour ground as a fatherly figure was the first to express this idea to me though it was running in my mind earlier. Then immediately I grabbed it and marketed it around for persons concerned to work on it and implement it. Besides me and JP, Lawrence Rato and Lawry Pinto worked very hard to form this association of course with the support of others too. I wanted it in order to bring all our soccer activities under one apex body and to bring some system in it and moreover I wanted to clip the wings of United Goans’ revengeful attitude of unnecessarily suspending participating teams. Being the initiator of our competitive soccer at Sour Ground, UG was then conducting major tournament on League Cum Knockout basis lasting for months and as such wielding lot of power and influence to suspend any team on any flimsy ground and thereby spoil the peace in the community. As an example, in 1982 without much substance UG as organisers suspended from the whole UG tournament the then topmost team GOA Maroons and thereby polluted the amicable atmosphere existing in the community. Some of those responsible for this foul play against GOA Maroons are either dead or disappeared like ether from this place but GOA Maroons is still existing and going strong while UG is tottering.
The politics of suspension of players and teams on unsound basis was the hallmark of KIFF working though it should not have been. Revenge was its ideal and people running the show of KIFF were not always of stable mind. Many times KIFF was run by people whose knowledge of soccer and its laws was abysmal. Sometimes KIFF was run by people of questionable character whose image in the community was bad. Most of the time KIFF gone into the hands of stupid people, at times they were so stupid that they even tried to reprimand me for my writings in the media on misdeeds of KIFF when I was not a member of KIFF or any KIFF affiliated club. KIFF failed to realise that it was as it is now a toothless cheap body in front of persons who are in no way officially associated with it. Secondly KIFF is not a recognised body anywhere under Kuwaiti authorities though it is registered with Indian Embassy just like many of the Indian Associations.
The football activities organised under KIFF is not to win the World Cup but only for pleasure and to pass our time. This being the case everyone involved in it like to play as much as possible though sometimes committing breach of discipline which no doubt require reprimanding but not imposing harsh punishment like harsh suspension which are not always necessary. Laws and rules are meant to apply for the smooth functioning of the system and not to harass and inconvenience individuals. Where leniency applicable KIFF sometimes applied Hitlerian rules as a personal revenge against certain teams and certain players. Because of such harsh application of rules, two persons were mercilessly assaulted in Goa some years back by the very persons who were rightly or wrongly punished by the KIFF.
The formation of Indian Football Federation (IFF) last year though not a good idea yet it was a good challenge to the brute might of the KIFF. The formation of IFF though a rebellion against KIFF was not necessary and it could have been avoided if little saner counsel was prevailed. The split in KIFF last year was very much avoidable but due to personal ego of some in KIFF, IFF initiators were pushed to the wall and finally failed, though one of the persons involved in the formation of IFF was very much instrumental in the promotion of KIFF earlier. KIFF is a strong body with a history of 25 years having strong base while IFF was a novice without any history and base. It was a pity that there was nobody in the community last year to pacify both the warring factions to come to the table and settle the matter amicably. But fortunately this year, according to my information, our Indian Ambassador has come forward to bring in the much needed reconciliation between both the warring factions and make the breakaway faction IFF return to KIFF. It is an excellent initiative of our Ambassador to see the prodigal sons back to its original place. Everyone who is interested in our unity and development of our soccer activities in the community must support the reconciliation efforts initiated by our Ambassador.
Earlier lot of disputes took place in the community when our soccer activities were organised at Sour Grounds, Colva incident was top on the list. It was so disgraceful that not only the Colva group spoiled the image of Goans but even they disgraced the image of Indians by bringing Nine Month Pregnant women on the ground to stop the soccer activities at Sour Ground under KIFF. In this connection I along with Fr. Gabriel Dias a Goan priest from Kuwait Catholic Church had a meeting in Indian Embassy with my friend and colleague at Writers Guild, Mr. Usmani who was one of the top Indian Diplomats. During our discussion on Colva episode Mr. Usmani showed his total displeasure over what was happening in the community in the name of soccer and confessed to me that he tried his level best to reconcile but Colva Goans are hard nuts to crack. In Goa I met local parish priest of Colva Church who with deep grief in his Sunday homily spoke against Colva people in Kuwait for creating foul atmosphere in Kuwait among Indians.
Now, since our Ambassador has taken a lead to patch up the differences between KIFF and IFF, I hope His Excellency will succeed where Diplomat Usmani failed earlier in another episode. Your Excellency the Ambassador of India in Kuwait, we all the like minded people support your initiative in bringing unity between the KIFF and IFF. I am sure knowing them well, both President and Vice President of KIFF along with their colleagues will work for the reconciliation which is very imperative now. This is not the time to punish the wrong doers but to offer the warm hand shake of reconciliation. This is not the time to apply the Law of Hamurabi. Eye for an eye and Tooth for tooth was the Law of Hamurabi the ancient king of ancient Mesopotamia. This is the time to welcome back the earlier deserters just like Biblical Prodigal Son. This is the time to follow the Christian principle of reconciliation and since overwhelming majority involved in this tug of war are Christians and regular Church goers, they all must now show that they are one though the rebellion brought in by some and formed IFF was not correct. This should be the good lesson for all to be alert in future before embarking upon hasty decision.
After all what is IFF? It collapsed within a year like a pack of cards. It is not easy to run an organisation.
And what is KIFF? It is not FIFA. It lost much of its shine though some in KIFF think that they are omnipotent when they are nothing. For me it means nothing much beyond certain area. For this reason I refused their request to honour me during the recently concluded KIFF League final, for my enermous contribution for the establishment of KIFF and in the promotion of Indian Soccer in Kuwait.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
