This is the first time in my life since I started
writng over 5 decades now that I begin writing this sorrowful peace of obituary
on our late Lawry Pinto in Bombay and also the news of his death I received
from innumerable sources some are known
while others unknown with tears rolling down my cheeks, such a terrible blow to
me is his death. Besides me there may be
so many others who must have received
this news with a big shock. That one day
we all will go to the grave is a known fact but according to our thinking and
expectations there is a certain period for us to die and Lawry Pinto surely did
not fall into that category to die. It looks God has taken way from this [lanet
rather a bit early and the secret of it
He alone know better. We must know one fact that God’s will is different from our expectation
and as decided by God Lawry Pinto breathed his last 2 days back in Bombay where
he was residing there. May his soul rest in peace and may the Heavenly God give
Lawry Pinto Heavenly peace and to his wife and sons courage to bear this
colossal loss. In his death we lost not
only one man but a thorough gentleman and a man of society who could fit in any
comparment. He was a perfect gentleman only in words but more in deeds, a perfect disciplined husband of
the disciplined and respectable wife and a thorough father of his 2 sons. He gave his life for the upbringing and
development of his sons.
Lawry Pinto originally from Mangalore wedded to a Goan girl was a very good man, very cooperstive, very friendly and very helpful. Even though he was a Mangaloresn yet inspite of being so he integrated in Kuwait more with Goans and was a very secular and metropolitan in his thoughts and deeds. He came to Kuwait as a young man somewhere in late 1975 having great urge to do something for the community not only for his Mangalorean but also others too by bringing a fusion of all Indians first. In the Indian communities he had a strong say and he enjoyed a good rapport with the Indian Embassy. My first contact created with him was somewhere in 1979 when we Goans under the initiative of United Goans Organisation were organising the first ever competitive soccer tournament at Sour Ground in Kuwait City where we had the facilities of using 2 foot-ball grounds and whence we we were organisng our soccer activities in the mornings only where with his powerful backing not only financial but also otherwise the Mangaloreans fielded their team named Flying Arrows that comprised some of the excellent players mainly developped in Bombay, one of them was Isaq in the forward line while in their defence was rocky like deep defender I think his name was Stanley(?) who was well built having muscular body and who was being dependable defender was excellent in the aerial duels due to his jumping skill higher and higher and equally at ease on both the legs. Later on his place was filled up by Eric when Lawry Pinto seceded from the original team and formed his own new team cqlled “ Rising Stars”comprising some of the best available footballers among Indians in Kuwait mainly from Bombay, Goa and Mangalore one of them was the speedy puny Raju whose running prowess made him the best outer among the Indian players in Kuwait. The mai n reason for Lawry to withdraw from the Flying Arrows was due to the reason that the top Man of their team was utillising Lawry to do all the jobs of running of the team and last minute enjoying all benefits mainly the honour and fame for himself only. He was acting like a feudal lord, not even spndiona single dinar for the running of the team. This football activities brought Llawry so close to other communities mainly the Goan that he was more known among Goans than others. Because of running his team he spent lot of money from his own pocket and always helped his team players and helpers by helping them in whatever way he can thus gaining goodwill from everyone. I think in Kuwait individually he sacrificed more and also spent more after the soccer activities than anyone else and precisely because of this his team Rising Stars probably won more trophies thans any other team. He was very bold and would take side of his member and supporter aytime by going to any extent. Thru this attribute he indicated his perfect leadership quality engrossed deep in his blood and precisely because of this he became the very good leader.
The idea of forming
the Kuwait Indian Football Federation was from Mr. J.P. D’Mello the international
Referee based in Kuwait but if at all it
clicked and came to reality it was mainly because of Lawry Pinto’s
relentless efforts even by pleading and begging to everyteam to join with KIFF
as an apex body so that all teams come under one banner of KIFF. This writer was also of very good help for
the formation of KIFF when his journalistic efforerts of marketing this idea
helped a lot besides Vohra, Rato and others played their respective roles well.
The efforts of Lawry Pinto in getting the KIFF work really deserving lot of
credit. If KIFF is still existing in
Kuwait, then they must start a memorial tourney in memory of Lawry Pinto
because his memory in this particular field cannot be allowed to fade. Some of the oldies still living in Kuwait
and still taking part in KIFF organized soccer then they must use their weight in
favour of this proposal.
The other field of
Lawry Pinto’s activities was the cultural and social work in which he took lot
of interest mainly by uniting Goans, Mangaloreans and others to promote
Cultural Programme in Konkani by bringing troupes and individual Tiatrists from
Goa, Bombay and Mangalore and organizing their Shows in Konkani in Kuwait. Not
only he brought them to Kuwait but treated
them royally well as few has done among us.
Without any reservation, he associated with any Goan organized function and Goans always welcomed
him in their midst without any difference. He was more a Goan than many of the Goans.
For the cause of
Konkani he also worked hard along with us in Kuwait by helping us in whatever way he could. When I asked anything for the cause of
Konkani he never said NO to me, so much love he had for Konkani. In his death
we lost a great man of Society. May His
Soul Rest In Peace.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
