The late J. P. D’Mello was a great son of India from Sucurro, Porvorim, Bardez, Goa. As a Goan he had great love for Goa and Goan causes. He was a scholar in soccer laws and known to be the first Goan international Referee. While in India he was stationed in Bombay from where he came into limelight. After his retirement from Bombay in early eighties he came to Kuwait and got employed at KREMENCO, in Ahmadi.
When he came to Kuwait we Goans along with other Indians were on the peak of our soccer activities conducted at Sour ground. Anton Lawrence Fernades from Siolim Goa also known as Tony was the president of United Goans Football Center in Kuwait (UG) and was working at Albert Abela, Ahmadi Oil Center where JP was also working. One fine morning they both met each other and exchanged views and pleasantries and became good friends.
Anton Lawrence once during Portuguese rule in Goa was an ace foot-baller of Goa playing for the then famous Goan team of LUBE. He due to his friendship with JP, one fine morning brought JP to Sour ground and introduced him to our soccer. Then immediately JP became a part of UG advising them and helping them also in the matter of soccer activities.
After about 10 years working in Kuwait J.P. bade adieu to Kuwait and gone back to Bombay where he was settled permanently with his family and there only he died. As a mark of respect for his contribution in the promotion of soccer among Kuwait Indians, Kuwait Indian Football Federation established JP Memorial Tournament known as KIFF League which is running now since some years back. JP was instrumental in establishing KIFF besides Indian Football Referees Association, Kuwait (IFRA) as well.
The credit for initiating our competitive soccer activities must surely go to United Goans Football Center popularly known as UG and their memory should be kept alive on priority basis for posterity to know what they have done in the history of soccer in Kuwait. Because of their initiative till today we are having our soccer activities that have immensely helped us in innumerable ways.
KIFF League is not the only league tournament we have. Earlier when UG started it was started with League cum knock-out basis and this league system lasted till the invasion of Kuwait.
Somebody asked me the other day why I am not writing beautiful reviews of our games the way I was writing earlier in the local English Newspapers? My reply was this that earlier our soccer was beautifully played by the beautiful players who knew how to play beautiful soccer prior to their coming to Kuwait, most of them were seasoned and smart players in Goa and elsewhere in India before coming to Kuwait.
Can we see again the likes of Gajendra Pillay the deep defender of Maroons? Can we see again the likes of forwards Tony Correia, Gilbert and the late Cosme of Maroons again? Can we see again the likes of midfielder Cajetan Godinho of Goan Sporting? Can we see another deep defender like Alcantro Barreto of UG? Likewise, there were so many artistically excellent players who brought more excellence and beauty for our soccer during the earlier days especially till the invasion of Kuwait. It was they who put a strong base for our football in Kuwait and because of that strong base our football in Kuwait is still surviving.
The current crop of footballers are not footballers of our type, of course exceptions are there. Yesterday’s final was the lousy final because the players were lacking in excellence. Even physically they lacked the normal physical grandeur the players are having. During our time we did not have facilities as the current players are having to make their improvement and inspite of this sadly the current players are not playing beautiful game. From what I saw in the final between DHL and Dom Bosco on Friday, yesterday, the standard of our soccer is very low compared to what it was before during our time.
The guest of honour and Arjuna Awardee Bruno Coutinho was a great footballer of India and as a Goan I am proud of him but with due respect to his excellence I can say that even during his time the standard of Indian soccer was very low compared to what it was earlier in Goa and India. Mind you India is yet to produce another Neville D’Souza who scored a magnificent hat-trick in Melbourne Olympics in 1956.
Again mind you Calangute Goa is yet to produce another excellent player like Bruno’s father Alex Coutinho who was a bustling and bombastic forward. The standard of soccer in Bruno’s own village Calangute was very high once when his father was one of the best forwards. His father was the star of the then mighty Calangute soccer team known as Eutrapelia. It was a dream team then during the Portuguese time admired even by the mighty Portuguese Pakles.
Quality football is not existing now anywhere because quality footballers are not coming. If you watch carefully, up to now we cannot see another Maradona even after so many years of his retirement. Today football is played with money power and not with skill power. The current soccer coaches kill the skills of the skilful players for the sake of big money.
Once in a friendly game at Calangute, this dream team made mockery of the then mighty Salgaocars having in its fold 5 excellent Pakle players who were exceptionally talented. Bruno Coutinho’s father was irresistible along with Eustaquio in the forward line while midfield was orchestrated like a maestro by Bhaskar, deep defence was manned by the mighty Joshe and in the goal Peter Gomes was unbeatable. If it was not for his migration to the Gulf, Bruno Coutinho’s father would be easily absorbed by any of the top Goan Clubs though he and others as I have named above would easily walk into any of the top Indian teams.
The Chief Guest yesterday for the final the Ambassador of India remained seated for few minutes and then left with an excuse that he has other engagement elsewhere while some Kuwaiti dignitaries remained till the end.
A few weeks before the invasion of Kuwait we organised a friendly soccer match at Fahaeel Stadium between Goa XI and Kerala XI, the Chief Guest was the then Indian Ambassador. Maintaining the etiquette of the chief guest, the Ambassador remained seated on his seat till the end of the match and left the stadium after distributing the prizes for the participants.
Coming back to yesterday’s final, the organisers the KIFF deserves compliments for doing the good job while kudos to Don Bosco for defeating their rivals DHL by 4-1 goals.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
