A.Veronica & Lawry Pinto
We Goans in Kuwait as per our tradition involved in creating lot of
activities in foot-ball. When the early Goans came to Kuwait first time in
fifties there were many foot-ballers among those Goans and also tournament organizer
Goans and by playing in Ahmadi for those
days soccer teams comprising mainly the Britishers, they earned name and fame
for themselves and for Goans as well. During
those days when those Goans playing soccer in Ahmadi at KOC center, they were
treated by the spectators and others with high respect befitting their status
on the soccer ground. They were creating
a very good image of Goans because of the very good display of soccer game they
were playing. Some of them were even
given offers to come to London to play for the reputed clubs in England but our
poor and simple Goans then refused those worthy offers otherwise these Goans
would be creating a history in the soccer history books being the pioneers among Indians to play in the British Big
League. In fact they were all employed
at KOC Oil sector and the Press Cuttings from the local newspapers reviewing
their performances were taken to England and some of these cuttings were
displayed in the Cafes and Pubs in UK and the same were physically seen by some
of our Tarvotti Goans when their ships anchored
at the popular ports such as Liverool.
However when Goans started pouring in Kuwait in the seventies, under
the banner of United Goans Foot-ball Center which was formed under the
presidentship of Antonio Lawrence Fernandes originally from Siolim Goa,
initiated their first ever soccer tournament for Indians only in 1979, on
League cum knock out basis, at Kuwait City SOUR Grounds – Ground 1 & Ground
2. All the games were played in the evenings only.
Then the following year Flying Arrows Club started their one more tournament
on Knock-out basis where Lawry Pinto from Mangalore played a pivotal role to
promote this soccer along with his other colleagues. In this way more and more
teams and clubs started their knock-out tourneys.
Then there came the need to bring into existence one apex body to
centralize all the activities conducted separately by each organiser and thus
Kuwait Indian Foot-ball Federation was formed in the early eighties, this idea
to form this apex body was initiated by J.P. D’Mello the renowned Goan soccer
umpire and administrator and I have successfully marketed it while Lawry Pinto thru his very hard work and
perseverance even receiving insults from
those teams opposing the formation of KIFF which was in the beginning christened as
Indian Football Association, was instrumental in paving the way for the
formation of KIFF. I can rightly say
that if it was not for Lawry Pinto then,
the KIFF would never come into existence. Though the major credit for the formation of
KIFF surely go to Lawry Pinto yet others too played a pivotal role in the
formation of KIFF namely A.Veronica, Rato, of course J.P. and others.
While talking of Lawry Pinto, he was the
very dynamic young man then hailing from Mangalore but having been involved
with Goans was more Goan than Mangalorean, a soccer crazy and a great lover of
Konkani language and Konkani culture in which subject he has done so much of
good work from Kuwait. And above all, he was the great philanthropist whose
generosity spread in many segments of Konkani.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Club “Flying Arows”comprising
mainly the Mangaloreans but within a short time he dissociated from it and
formed his own team named as RISING STARS” having powerful players which
fetched them many championships and trophies,
the entire expenses to run this team
was borne by him only and not for one or two years but over a quarter of
century.
During my time we had a dozen of
football teams participating in the tournaments conducted at Sour Ground but the number of Goans is thinning now
because more and more young Goans are migrating to UK from Kuwait and less
number of young Goans are coming to Kuwait from Goa. More and more Goans are migrating elsewhere
for more greener pastures and for better conditions by leaving Kuwait thus
facilitating the Malyalis to fill the vacuum created by Goans in the soccer
activities both in the management and also in actively participating in playing
this beautiful game. Some of the teams
named after Goa and Goans are dominated by the Malyalis. The foundation for
this soccer for Indians laid by the Goans and dominated by the Goans only for
about half a century is almost gone into the hands of Malyalis now. This is a fact but it must also be understood
that the Goans were pioneers in starting these activities and in this connection
it must be borne in mind the Club UNITED GOANS FOOT-BALL CENTER popularly
knoiwn as UG, deserves the highest credit to initiate these activities. They have faced lot of difficulties,
hardship, insults, humiliation and other forms of rejections from their
opponents to establish this soccer.
Their founding members under the Presidency of Antonio Lawrence
Fernandes from Siolim an ace foot-baller
during his younger days in Goa playing for the famed outfit “Lube”, F.X. D’Souza from Assagao who was the brain
behind their organising abilities, Tony Gonsalves from Divar, Diogo Gomes from Bastora, Custodio from
Navelim and others who all of them gave their life not only to form this soccer
but also to promote it.
The soccer that we Goans initiated and organized at Sour Grounds
created ripples not only in Kuwait but also in India and in the other parts of
the World as it was known to FIFA as well.
Because of this soccer the name of Goans as soccer crazy infiltrated
even in the Brazilian society when for one of the finals the Brazilian Coach of
Kuwait National Team himself was the chief guest thanks to the excellent
efforts put in by Shaikh Agnelo from Agacaim to get the Brazilian as the Chief
Guest. Additionally, many of the top
personalities either from the Kuwait Government segment or renowned Kuwaiti
personalities from the other segments including the Indian Ambassadors and
other diplomats attended the finals as Chief Guests. Some of the top Goan political figures were
also attended these finals by especially coming to Kuwait but among them
Churchill Alemao was the greatest beneficiary when he was the chief guest for
one important soccer match when he was still ripe in forming his political career needing a booster
which he rightly got from Kuwait Goans.
Coming back to our Kuwait Soccer, according to some involved in this
soccer which is now shifted to some other location, KIFF under Derek Gomendes’
Presidency is not running well, there is
arrogance and pride and also Hitlerism in KIFF piloted by the President whose
contribution in the formation and development
of this soccer is nothing, according to one source. While according to another source, there are
financial irregularities going on in KIFF where there is no transparency. However,
according to Derek he is upright
otherwise let any accusation be substantiated with concrete evidence, said Derek, further adding that those who are
spoiling his name are guilty and who are all out to destroy KIFF and rob the
kitty of KIFF as once it happened when one Chinchinnkar robbed the KIFF money
while taking advantage of the position he was holding in KIFF.
During my approximate one month stay in Kuwait last month, I have
noticed lot of animosities among our community members which is nothing new, it
is the same old story because this is our trade mark and it carried forward
because no corrective measure were taken in the past by our elders to eradicate
this defect deeply ingrained in our blood.
Kuwait according to me is not what it was, it is become too
expensive. I suddenly fell sick and
taken to hospital at Mubarakia Hospital where I was kept for 4 days. I was later on came to know that the charges
for the visitor like me in the government hospitals which was F.O.C. earlier, were KD 70/- plus other charges and
for the local resident KD 10/- per night per bed. Then some of the Kuwaiti doctors
came to know my antecedents and my
contributions towards Kuwait during their dark days when their country was
under the siege by Saddam Hussein, they came to me to know more about what I
did along with my other fellow Goans in Goa for their sake. Virtually, around
my bed I was surrounded by the top Kuwaiti doctors discussing nothing but
political affairs during those days as they were kids then. Then I gave them my Book “FROM COCONUT TREES TO OIL
WELLS” released 2 years back on Kuwait where they were surprised to know so
much we Goans have done for them, one of them even shouted saying “when you
have done so much for our country, you must receive the treatment F.O.C.”. I asked him, Dr. can I ask and beg for
it? It is you as a Kuwaiti should raise
this topic with your top management. I
am not a beggar, if you feel you have any gratitude then go ahead but knowing
Kuwaiti mentality, I expect nothing from your Hospital management”. Though it was thru commercial transaction
that I worked for so many years in
Kuwait, yet I still feel I am grateful to Kuwait for affording me the
facility to work for a long time in Kuwait, even though I expect nothing and no
personal favour for me from Kuwait. Two
of these Kuwaiti doctors have agreed to visit Goa as my guests shortly.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
