April 28, 2008

IN RESPONSE TO GOAN FOOTBALLERS.

IN RESPONSE TO "NEGLECT OF GOAN FOOTBALLERS".


I surely agree that the Goan teams must encourage Goan football talent otherwise the passion that our youngsters have for football will disappear shortly. And as you said in one of your write up where you compared Goa which might turn into Singapore, likewise..the GOAN FOOTBALL TEAM ...with no orginal Goans playing for Goa !!!

Sobitia Fernandes.
sobitia@yahoo.com

April 25, 2008

NEGLECT OF GOAN FOOT-BALLERS.

NEGLECT OF GOAN FOOT-BALLERS.

Two weeks before, on that Friday, our soccer activities under Kuwait Indian Foot-ball Federation where Goans playing a dominant role being the initiators of same, suddenly came to an abrupt halt. That was the Friday in this season that there was no foot-ball played at Salmiya where currently our games are played. Earlier since 1979 in Kuwait City, at Sour Ground our soccer activities were flourishing and only this season it was shifted to Salmiya when some construction work started taking roots at Sour Ground. We do not have a permanent venue exclusively for us only to play our soccer. Because of this we have to face many difficulties. Sour Ground was to a certain extent appropriate place, yet in the past we had to surrender our rights to others who were more powerful than us. It was somewhere in 1983 we fixed the final of one of our tournaments at Sour Ground at 3.30 p.m. That time we used to have our matches in the afternoons only. The ground was nicely decorated with technicolour buntings. Dr. Jerry the then Principal of New Indian School, Jabriya, Kuwait, as a chief guest was seated on his chair along with other artificially made Goan dignitaries. Players too entered the ground and while referee was preparing to start the game, suddenly some non-local Arabs came and said “you cannot have your game here today because at 4.00 p.m. we have fixed our match which we cannot postpone”. There were some heated arguments between Goans and Arabs but finally they overpowered us and like cowards having no choice we surrendered to them and left the field. Chief Guest totally embarrassed, quietly took his car and left.

Earlier due to busy schedule of soccer matches at Sour Grounds where besides us some non-local Arabs were also playing, we shifted our base in 1981 to somewhere near Gulf Road, close to Hilton Hotel and next to Amiri Palace. There was a nice soccer ground which was idle in the mornings. Our boys did the markings on the ground and everything was set and in fact as schedule the match was started, one of the playing teams was G.O.A. White, the second fiddle of G.O.A. Maroons. Ten minutes were passed; suddenly military personnel in his open jeep came straight on to the ground and halted the match asking “who gave you the permission to play here?” Nobody had any answer and in view of this we had to stop our match from playing further and later on returned back to Sour Grounds by doing some adjustment and begging with others to give us an adjustable slot.

Now, two weeks earlier on Friday again we were made to surrender the ground to the people who occupied it for their own needs. Our problem here in Kuwait is this that we don’t have a powerful lobby to fight for the ground either thru payment or thru goodwill. The late Avertano Furtado once tried to push his powerful Sponsor Al Othman to provide us a permanent ground and he was very serious when he told me about this but it was too far distance wise from Kuwait City. Since nobody took any interest in this proposal, the initiative died in its infancy only. I don’t know how long the recently acquired ground at Salmiya will last for us and as the way things are moving I don’t think it will last for long. To acquire a permanent solution for this ground we need strong persons to run our soccer organization. In the current KIFF I don’t see any powerful personality. It is the weakest body amongst all the past KIFF bodies.

Our soccer activities are not recognized by any local authorities and what we do it is purely concentrated around our own eyes and ears even though local English press is giving lot of coverage because very many of our people are involved in it. Though local English press gives coverage yet it is done thru the pens of the organizers of the respective tournaments. The major benefits of our tournaments goes to the organizers of the tournaments and teams by way of publicity for them which they otherwise never dream to get back at home and in fact they love it very much. Many of the organizers thru these activities are converted into heroes from zeroes though back at home they are not even fit to organize a soccer match in “Xetan” next to their “Ghoram”, between “Ankvar” and “Kazari”.

Why in Kuwait only? Even in Goa some of the top clubs run their soccer teams not to promote Goan footballers but to promote their business and political activities. Sylvio Berlusconi the owner of Italian AC Milan is running his team to promote and popularize himself in Italy for the ultimate aim of getting elected as the head of the Italian Government. In Goa like Italy soccer is very popular. Some of the top soccer teams of Goa are instead of promoting Goan talent is killing Goan talent by acquiring footballers from outside Goa and outside India. By doing this the local talent is suppressed. Nigerian, Brazilian, Kenyans and others will never give chances for our Goan boys to shine and to develop. By acquiring foreign talents for our teams we may elevate the standard of Goan soccer but never will we elevate the standard of Goan footballers. Innumerable footballers are even recruited from Manipur and other places India by our top teams as if there is no indigenous talent in Goa which is if not better than at least equal to non-Goan Indians. Goan spectators must boycott the teams which do injustice to Goan footballers. During my time when I was playing for Sesa Goa, only the local talent was preferred by the Sesa management even though the management of Sesa was into the hands of Germans and Italians. Inspite of being foreigners Seas’s management did justice to Goans but those who are shouting at the top of their voices in support of Goa for getting Goan votes are doing grave injustice to Goans. Goa conscious Goans must think over this again and again and work for solution.

After 1982 world cup victory, Italy acquired services in their top clubs in Serie A all the topmost players from all around the world. Thru this they managed to produce the richest and the biggest soccer in the world in Italy but they failed to produce the biggest and the richest footballers from Italy. For this reason Italian soccer standard amongst the locals suffered. Because of this Italian pundits changed their thinking in favour of the promotion of local talents with top priority and only then and that too almost after a quarter of a century Italy won the world cup again 2 years back.

Our top Goan clubs are not interested in promoting Goan talent; they want everything readymade from outside Goa. Our top Goan Clubs are killing Goan talent in its infancy only by not providing the necessary infrastructure and support for the youngsters and youth. There are no youth teams at third and fourth rungs with any of our top teams. Top Clubs in the world in Europe and South America are having “B”, “C” and even “D” teams and from these segments they promote the players for their “A” team. How we will produce top players when not a single top Goan Club is having its own stadium? How we will produce top class footballers when in Goa not a single top club is having its own Swimming Pool for its players to practice because swimming is the best form of exercise? How we will produce top class footballers when in Goa not a single top club is having its own Gymnasium which is very essential for the fitness of the footballers?

Before he was inducted into its team, the great Brazilian Zico was sent for the kindergarten lesson in the club’s Gymnasium and then only he was allowed to kick the ball for the club. Our footballers’ eating and drinking habits nobody monitors because no team is having its own dieticians. Besides our top Goan clubs lack so many facilities for the players to develop. Unless the whole thing is restructured, our Goan soccer will remain where it is. A war infested country like Lebanon lacking in so many facilities is defeating our Goan Champion team, and that too on our own soil at Fatorda by 3 goals means misery of Goan soccer. After the great soccer genius, Neville D’Souza, Goa has not produced another genius of his type. And if we go on bringing foreign players more and more, mainly from Africa and Manipur in India by suppressing our Goan talent, we will never produce another Neville D’Souza. A few of our top Goan clubs are having their teams only to promote their names only and not to promote Goan footballers. Such teams should be boycotted by the real sons and real daughter of Goa.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

April 24, 2008

GOA RE-CONQUERED.

GOA RE-CONQUERED.

In continuation with my yesterday’s article on “Politicians & Non Goans”, let me today put some more light on the PDF Government’s dadageri during the time of invasion of Kuwait. Kuwait is our bread, this fact nobody can deny. It is not Kuwait that needs us but it is we who need Kuwait for our sustenance. If it is not for Kuwait then many of us would not have attained in life what we have already attained. When Kuwait was invaded in 1990, PDF Government was ruling in Goa. PDF Government was the main cause for prostituting Goan politics. The alliance between MGP and Congress defectors was like a sexual intercourse between a married man and a prostitute from Baina. Defection was the curse on Indian politics. The first defection in Goan democratic politics was initiated in early seventies when 5 MGP MLA’s revolted against Bandodkar’s rule and to counter them Bandodkar thru his political ingenuity bastardized Goan politics further by initiating defection into UG Party whence Abdul Razzak, Elu Miranda, Valente Sequeira, Orlando Sequeira Lobo left UGP and embraced MGP. This was the beginning of the curse of defections in Goa which was later on carried forward by a few elected Congressmen who broke rank with Rane and like prostitutes hugged MGP against all the civilized and their religious tenets. By joining MGP these Congress MLA’s committed a crime against their voters who got them elected as Congressmen to fight for the causes of Goa. However, one thing must be made clear that the voters who got these defectors elected on Congress tickets not because they loved Congress but to oppose MGP which was anti-Goans and anti-Konkani. But there is a saying in Konkani, “Sunneachi Xempddi Vankddi Ti Vankddich, Ti Novien Ghatlear Koxich Ubhi Zavpachi Na”. In the same way those who are born as traitors will never change their stand, they will remain as traitors only throughout their life no matter how many ways they bluff their voters at the time of election by giving them fake promises. And this we can see for ourselves during the last two decades how the system of “Aya Ram and Gaya Ram” is flourishing in Goa.

When PD Government was in its infancy, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. We went to Goa and formed our movement in support of the liberation of Kuwait under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center. During this movement we organized big rallies on the streets of Panjim and held big public meetings at Azad Maidan, Panjim. The news of these meetings and rallies flashed not only in Goa, Delhi and other parts of India but all over the world thru CNN and other Networks. To our regret none of the MLA's or any Minister from PDF Government supported us openly. None of them associated with us in our Rallies and Meetings though we announced in the media for everyone to join us. On the contrary some of the PDF ministers mainly Chief Minister Dr. Proto Barbosa and J.B. Gonsalves started sending me threatening messages for organizing this movement without consulting them as if they were my “Bhattkars” and I am their “Munddkar”. One of the prominent ministers also used rough language against me saying “To Eronic kit somzot-re! Kuwait thaun eun aiz to Kuwaitchea lokank rostear haddta Kuwaitchea passot tor faleam to amcho serkarui sokol uddoupak lokank rostear haddtolo?”. Then he went further saying “Eronic mozo best friend, makam tanne fattim kitlem borem kelam ani makam sangonastana to he porim eddo vhodd morcha kaddta?”.

The success of our movement that time was only because we kept the politicians out from taking active role in our movement. If they had been involved they would use our forum to fire their salvos against their own local enemies because they don’t have much knowledge of international politics. One of our ex State Ministers of Foreign Affairs told me at Panjim during that time that Kuwait will not be liberated, Kuwait’s case will remain like that of Palestinian case for another 25 to 50 years. I laughed at him because a foreign affairs minister of India talked like an idiot of foreign affairs. Any way, we challenged the dadageri of PDF Government and succeeded in organizing successfully our movement in support of Kuwait and because of which we received kudos, appreciation and gratitude from the Kuwaitis and Government of Kuwait. The very people who were opposing me and talking ill of me are now shamelessly coming to Kuwait when during the invasion of Kuwait they were taunting us as if Kuwait is gone forever. Kuwait never went and will never go, Kuwait will remain as Kuwait forever and Kuwait will feed not only us but also Kuwait will feed our children, our soans and daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, other relatives and also Kuwait will feed shameless visiting tiatrists and shameless politicians. For this reason, we must wish Kuwait peace and prosperity.

According to the landmark judgment of Indian Supreme Court, on 19th December 1961 Goa was not liberated by Bharat but Goa was conquered. This was the first conquest of Goa. After this conquest, Goa is conquered by our corrupt politicians and enslaved common citizens of Goa to them. Thru this conquest, these current politicians put Goa on sale, jobs on sale, seats in professional colleges on sale, Government services on sale and everything on sale. Only AIR is freely available in Goa and recently that too become polluted by the prostituted acts of our politicians. The political affairs in Goa are gone into the hands of rascals who at the cost of tax payers’ money are living like Maharajas. They want posh Bunglows to live at Altinho Panjim and yet they call themselves as socialists. Most of the elected representatives spend their time not to serve the interest of the people but to fight their personal battles against their own enemies and to bring down the prevailing Governments. They want fleet of Government vehicles not only for them but even for their servants and dogs. They want battalions of Police security to guard them. Guard from whom? Who wants them? When Luizinho Faleiro was Chief Minister he had according to one source one dozen of Policemen to guard him, not only him but also for his servants, his dogs and cats too. Without this security he was not moving out. But where is this security gone now? Where is his “polki Mijeas” gone now? These montris are good to fritter away public money for their pompous life because all of them are suffering from anchestral inferiority complex.

In this Re-Conquest of Goa by our corrupt politicians, our MLAs and Mostris are hell bent to maximize their commissions and profits by being in their posts. Within a short time of becoming ministers they become Crorepotis. When they become Crorepotis thru ill gotten money by sucking the blood of the common Goans thru bribes for the jobs done they go for high profile concubines and prostitutes. For this reason, many of the current ministers are having private residential places to enjoy sex away from their wives. I have a list of montris who are involved in this game. Narvenkarism is rampantly practiced by our Montris and sex is become a very good gift for montris to give their official services to the people. One Montri openly tells the girls that “I will surely do your job tomorrow but you will have to do my job tonight”. This is the quality of some of our montris in the second conquest of Goa which we call as RE-CONQUEST OF GOA. The protectors of morality must do something on this subject otherwise these corrupt montris will turn Goa into a brothel. Though they are doing so worst deeds against the interests of their voters yet they want public to remain silent over their dirty habbits. They expect us to accept blindly everything what they do. People must revolt against their wrong deeds and applaud them for their good deeds. Then only they will change.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.