It is said that if you want to get best of education in the world you either go to Oxford in UK or Harvard & Yale in USA or Sorbonne in France or Vienna Music Academy in Austria and attain mastery of the subjects of your choice. Similarly, it was said in Goa years back that if you want to attain excellence in education and sports you go to Arpora Bardez and join St. Joseph’s High School there and attain all round excellence in life. That was the standard of that school once upon a time under the Principalship of Monsg. Philipe Neri Mendonca popularly known as Fr. Mendonca. Some of the great intellectuals of Goa of the past century were the products of this school.
“Cibaria Necessaria Sumite Et Abite” written in Latin was the motto of this school and it was indicated on the school emblem. The meaning of this in English is: ”Take the necessary food and depart”. Taking this view into consideration the late Santana Carvalho as a young boy bustling with energy and radiating positive thinking joined Arpora School after the end of the World War II not only to gain educational knowledge but also to excel in extracurricular activities including debates, dramas and sports. He was the regular participant in the annual school drama organized on the birthday of the school principal Fr. Mendonca. Music was his other specialty and playing of Violin was his forte.
However his main specialty was centered around sports and the game of soccer was his devotion playing as a regular for the then mighty school soccer team under its bar. He was extremely good goalkeeper and according to the elder teachers of that school, Arpora School has never produced such a gigantic and magestic keeper in its long and great history. During those days Arpora School soccer team was one of the best teams in Goa, so much so, even those great Goan teams dotted with exceptionally talented Portuguese players were afraid of Arpora School team because our Santan Carvalho under its bar was unbeatable.
During those days Arpora School team because of its very high standard had the unique distinction of playing a friendly soccer match at School ground against the visiting German team. No doubt our Carvalho was not schooling at Arpora at that time but if he was, surely he would be an automatic choice in the first eleven. When once I asked what was his feeling on this point he replied that it was the greatest “miss” of his life at Arpora where he achieved everything the best in educational field as well as on soccer field.
When he was playing for Arpora School all the spectators watching the game used to call him thus “COME ON LION”. Under their bar he was nicknamed as Lion after the name of Fr. Lyon a foreigner who founded this first High School of Goa which was then called as “COLLEGIO DIOCESAN DE ST. JOSE” because of its all-round high standard. Also, he was called a Lion because of his Lionic courage to put his big hand with very broad palm for any powerfully difficult ball thus preventing the ball from entering into his goal.
In his death last month Goa has lost one of the greatest soccer goalkeepers of all time. As a mark of respect for his excellent goalkeeping Goan soccer community in Goa and in Kuwait should do something to keep his memory alive which should not be allowed to get faded. Such excellent footballers do not come into this world very often for this reason we have to keep their memory alive.
In Kuwait he always supported soccer activities at Sour grounds and encouraged the Goan boys to take part in it. He not only loved soccer in general but he also loved active soccer played by Goans in Kuwait so enthusiastically.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
