The 7-aside tournament was held on 10th September 2010 at the picturesque Irani Stadium in Karama, Dubai.
Matches started at 4pm in the afternoon and the finals ended at 11.30pm. Both the finalists were locked goalless during the regulation time. In the ensuing tiebreaker, Mario D’souza’s goalkeeping heroics won the championship for Vanxim Divar.
Varca SC featured former international players such as Orlando Viegas (ex-Dempo) and Franky Barretto (ex-Salgaocars/Mohun Bagan), but the youthful side of Vanxim Divar, managed by the energetic and evergreen Bonnie Fernandes of Festa Entertainments Dubai, triumphed at the end.
AVC-Kuwait creates history
AVC-Kuwait added a new chapter in the Kuwait Indian Expatriate sports history books by becoming the only Indian Expatriate Organization to conduct an overseas tournament in the Middle East and this history is being achieved to mark the celebrations of 10 glorious years of the Club since its inception in the year 2001.
The day long tournament had 24 teams taking part and was attended by a large holiday crowd from the UAE with people coming all the way from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Fujairah to witness this event. The most important and gratifying moment for the organizers was to see the large number of families gracing the event till the very end, a sight very rare in Kuwait nowadays.
The organizers had the privilege to host top personalities of Indian community in UAE with the likes of Wilfred Pereira (Sports Editor of Gulf Today), Sandeep Sethi (Marketing Manager, Middle East, Africa and India - NCR), Benedict Lobo (radiogoa.net), Anthony Fernandes (social worker, Dubai), Benny D’Costa (Head- Business Development Al Ansari Exchange, Abu Dhabi and ex Sesa Goa player), and Ignatius Xavier.
The tournament was kicked off by AVC-Kuwait founder Mr. Demin D’Cruz along with Bonnie Fernandes of Festa Entertainments Dubai in the temporary absence of AVC-Kuwait Vice President Xavier Furtado who was held up in Kuwait for 21 hours due to major technical fault in an Air Arabia flight, but managed to reach the venue well before the finals.
Gulf Goans Cup Tournament: Delivered to Perfection
The tournament was held as per the prevailing format and rules formulated for tournaments held in Dubai.
The teams were very well disciplined on and off the field though the competition on the field was very fierce. Overall it was a grand show of unity on display amongst the Goan community in UAE.
It was a wonderful pleasure to have Mr. Lino Fernandes, a prominent personality from Kuwait specially attending the tournament in Dubai and also assisting the organizers, thus showing his support to AVC-Kuwait in particular.
The tournament was sponsored by Al-Othman Al Tabiat Kuwait, Advanced Technology Kuwait, BM Viegas ex KIFF President, Mr. Ivan Barretto of SkyNet Kuwait, Mr. Benny D’Costa Head-Business Development Al Ansari Exchange Abu Dhabi, and AVC Kuwait football team.
In a statement to the media, the organizers thanked the Goan community of UAE, Tournament sponsors, Bonnie Fernandes, Sandeep Sethi, Benny D’Costa, Anthony Fernandes, IFRA, Don Bosco Oratory Kuwait, Lino Pereira, Wilfred Pereira of Gulf Today, Benedict Lobo of Radiogoa, Ivan Baretto of SkyNet Kuwait, Gasper Almeida (goa-world.com), Gasper Crasto, Veronica Fernandes (goakranti.blogspot), goancauses@yahoogroups.com and the AVC Kuwait team.
What was promised by the organizers to teams taking part in the tournament was delivered to perfection. AVC-Kuwait after having conducted numerous sports and cultural events in Kuwait created a niche among the Goan community in UAE by conducting this tournament in Dubai with the help of Bonnie Fernandes.
With this event, AVC – Kuwait are the proud holders of two historical sports events, the first being the only Indian Expatriate football team from Kuwait to win an outstation tournament in Bahrain in 2005 and the second achievement being the organizing of the Gulf Goans Cup 2010 in Dubai. It marks perfect ten in the tenth year of the club’s existence in Kuwait.
The grand tournament was an AVC-Kuwait and Festa Entertainments Dubai presentation.
Prizes and Awards
Bonnie Fernandes conducted the proceedings professionally as he is accustomed to in Dubai much to the satisfaction of the teams and the spectators.
Demin D’Cruz conducted the presentation ceremony and Xavier Furtado thanked the Goan community of UAE for their whole hearted support and cooperation and disclosed AVC-Kuwait’s wish to make this tournament an annual affair in Dubai and this gesture was greeted with applause by the crowd.
Following prizes were awarded:
- Winners Trophy along with cash prize and individual prizes to Barcelona CCCF Vanxim Divar
- Runners up Trophy along with cash prize and individual prizes to Varca SC Al Ansari
- 3rd Place Trophy to Nuvem Al Seer
- 4th Place Trophy to ABC Benaulim
- Best Disciplined Team Trophy went to Sirlim Sports Club
- Best Player was awarded to Orlando Viegas of Varca SC
- Best Defender was bagged by Franky Baretto of Varca SC
- Best goalkeeper Trophy was presented to Mario D’Souza of Vanxim Divar
- Outstation Participation team Trophy was presented to Don Bosco Oratory Kuwait
- IFRA members were presented mementos for officiating the tournament.
- Special prize was given to AVC-Kuwait by Bonnie Fernandes for conducting the tournament in Dubai.
Mr. Wilfred Pereira of Gulf Today was the adjudicator for the tournament.
The prizes were given away by Bonnie Fernandes, Franky Barreto, Francis Fernandes (AVC), Lino G Fernandes (Kuwait), Alvaro Dias (AVC), Sarto Baptista (IFRA), Anthony Dias (Dubai), Glen D’Souza (AVC), Christine D’Souza (AVC), Benny D’Costa (Abu Dhabi) and Xavier Furtado.
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