MARCOS PACHECO - THE GREATEST GOAN ATHLETE GOA HAS EVER PRODUCED.

                                                            Marcus Pacheco

St. Joseph’s High School at Arpora Bardez, Goa, is the first English High School of Goa established by Fr. Lyon.  Being the first English High School of Goa, it had students from all over Goa who excelled as scholars in studies while others as genii in sports field.

The village of Parra in the neighbourhood of Arpora was known then for the rich cultivation of Water Melons and its huge production made Parra very famous in Bardez.  Similary Parra during those good old days was very famous for producing some of the top sportsmen of Goa.  Marcus Pacheco was one such great sportsman son of Parra excelling in Athletics.  He was during his school days at Arpora especially during the Portuguese rule in Goa was the champion runner athlete of Goa topping in 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and even in one mile at school level and at Goa level as well.

His best item was One Hundred metres in which he defeated even the best Portuguese "Pakle and Mestizos" athletes in Goa. While running hundred metres at Arpora School Annual Sports Meet in 1959 I saw him how speedy he was and seeing him thus I as a small boy was inspired to imitate him which I did at the later stage from the same school.

Marcus Pacheco was my hero, like Ben Johnson he was very muscular athlete, slow at starting point but accelerating his pace, strides and speed at the later stage and finishing first.  To see him running was a thriller and sheer excitement. When I joined Arpora School in 1962 June after the annexation of Goa by Bharat, he was doing his SSC but later on when he came to know of my prowess as an athlete coming from the same school, he came especially to see me running at Arpora School Annual Meet and congratulated me saying "Anthony Veronica, now you carry forward where I left".

In early 1962 at Lisboa in Portugal there was a scheduled Sports Meet of Portuguese sports persons from Portugal and from its colonies. As a Portuguese colony it was mandatory for Goa to send its best athletes for this Meet. As a best athlete of Goa Marcus Pacheco should have been an automatic choice but Portuguese Pakle dominated selection committee of Goa dropped Marcus Pacheco from the selection list with an excuse that Marcus Pacheco as a Goan having weak physical structure will not be able to manage to run in Lisboa. 

Fr. Mendonca the then mighty and knowledgeable Principal of Arpora School sensed the racial discrimination of the Portuguese dominated selection committee members and argued forcefully the case of Marcus Pacheco to include him in the Goa selection team which otherwise comprised all Pakle and Mistizos athletes.

Said Fr. Menonca, if Marcus Pacheco as a Goan is weak physically, then how he defeated in the selection trial all the so called physically strong Pakle and Mestizos competitors while conducting the selection trial?  In the selection trial Marcus Pacehco defeated all his opponents and yet he was not selected to go to Portugal.  But later on it was because of Fr. Mendonca’s intervention that finally our Goan Marcus Pacheco was given a green signal to represent Goa in the Athletics Meet to be held at Lisboa in Portugal.

After confirmation of his selection, Marcus Pacheco was given rigorous training at Campal even Road Running on the Streets of Panjim – Campal – Miramar & Dona Paula with Military Jeep of Pakles in front controlling his moves.  

When everything was done and finalised to fly to Lisboa during Christmas Week, unexpectedly for Marcus Pacheco on 18^th December itself India sent its mighty Military to annex Goa and on 19^th December officially and forcefully grabbed Goa thereby dashing all the hopes of Marcus Pacheco of winning Medal for Goa in the Portuguese Sports Meet.at Lisboa. 

May be if it materialised, Marcus Pacheco would get an opportunity to represent Portugal in  the Olympics and win a gold medal there making Goa proud. But it was not destined to happen like that.

Very shortly Goa is going to host Lusofonia Games in Goa where Goan athletes will be selected to represent Goan squad.  What Marcus Pacheco missed in Lisboa in 1962 will any of the Goan athletes win in Goa in 2013 ? By the way, will there be another Marcus Pacheco representing Goa in this Lusofonia Games in Goa?

Marcus Pacheco in Sixties worked for Chowgules Mining in Goa where he also represented Chowgules soccer team at Bardez level in the Second Division of GFA, he was a bustling forward scoring lot of goals with his both legs. As a student of Arpora School, I was also playing for that team along with him in 1965.  It was a sheer pleasure to play along with him where he provided me lot of support required on the field for a very young footballer like me.

In Seventies and in Eighties he worked in Abu Dhabi from where he returned to his home place Parra Goa and expired there about 15 years back.  May his Soul Rest In Peace and may Goa produce more and more Marcus Pachecos to bring more and more laurels for Goa in athletics field.

Befitting his stature as a great Goan athlete Goa has ever produced and having a very good sporting history behind him, I feel the organisers of the forthcoming Lusofonia Games in Goa should HONOUR him by naming one venue of the Games after him. 

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.