GREAT GOAN FOOTBALLERS OF PAST - I.
There is a saying, if you want to identify a Goan, you will identify him on the basis of his love for soccer. British introduced soccer in India while much before that Portuguese introduced soccer in Goa. St. Joseph's High School Arpora, Bardez was considered as one of the craddles of Goan soccer. The standard of soccer in Goa according to many elders who also saw soccer giants in British India especially in Bombay during the Rovers Cup tourneys was much higher. Goan soccer players are naturally gifted in this art and they could mesmerize anybody with their excellent footwork and shooting prowess. Neville D’Souza a Goan from Assagao Bardez and settled in Bombay was the best footballer India has ever produced. He was the only Asian and only Indian to score a hat-trick in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, this record, if I am right is still intact. All his living colleagues recently were honoured by the Government of India, unfortunately our Goan brother Neville D’Souza was not present to receive this honour since he already passed away in Bombay on 16th of March 1980 due to heart attack. But every living legend of that team during his statements talked very high of Neville D’Souza. I saw Neville D’Souza somewhere in 1959 when he toured Goa during the summer holidays, representing Bombay Goan soccer team under the managership of Anieceto.
It was at Mapusa Duler ground and the match was between Bombay Goans and Salgaocars having in its team top 5 Pakle players. Candu Abreu was playing as right half for Salgaocars and Neville D’Souza as left outer for Bombay Goans. In the very first minute itself Neville receiving a pass from John Charles, dribbled past Candu and from outside the box released such a powerful grounder that Pompei under Salgaocars bar was totally fooled and when he saw the ball in the net, surprised Pompei with disbelief exclaimed in Konkani saying “AA-RE!!. I heard this word very clearly as I was standing next to the goal post with my father who was holding my hand since I was very young at that time. Otherwise both Candu Abreu and Pompei were ace Goan footballers representing GOA XI. During this time Neville was not on peak of his form, he was on receding stage but yet he made fools of two Goan great soccer stalwarts and Portuguese Pakles were totally dumbfounded. Imagine what he must have been during his hey days!!
There is a saying, if you want to identify a Goan, you will identify him on the basis of his love for soccer. British introduced soccer in India while much before that Portuguese introduced soccer in Goa. St. Joseph's High School Arpora, Bardez was considered as one of the craddles of Goan soccer. The standard of soccer in Goa according to many elders who also saw soccer giants in British India especially in Bombay during the Rovers Cup tourneys was much higher. Goan soccer players are naturally gifted in this art and they could mesmerize anybody with their excellent footwork and shooting prowess. Neville D’Souza a Goan from Assagao Bardez and settled in Bombay was the best footballer India has ever produced. He was the only Asian and only Indian to score a hat-trick in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, this record, if I am right is still intact. All his living colleagues recently were honoured by the Government of India, unfortunately our Goan brother Neville D’Souza was not present to receive this honour since he already passed away in Bombay on 16th of March 1980 due to heart attack. But every living legend of that team during his statements talked very high of Neville D’Souza. I saw Neville D’Souza somewhere in 1959 when he toured Goa during the summer holidays, representing Bombay Goan soccer team under the managership of Anieceto.
It was at Mapusa Duler ground and the match was between Bombay Goans and Salgaocars having in its team top 5 Pakle players. Candu Abreu was playing as right half for Salgaocars and Neville D’Souza as left outer for Bombay Goans. In the very first minute itself Neville receiving a pass from John Charles, dribbled past Candu and from outside the box released such a powerful grounder that Pompei under Salgaocars bar was totally fooled and when he saw the ball in the net, surprised Pompei with disbelief exclaimed in Konkani saying “AA-RE!!. I heard this word very clearly as I was standing next to the goal post with my father who was holding my hand since I was very young at that time. Otherwise both Candu Abreu and Pompei were ace Goan footballers representing GOA XI. During this time Neville was not on peak of his form, he was on receding stage but yet he made fools of two Goan great soccer stalwarts and Portuguese Pakles were totally dumbfounded. Imagine what he must have been during his hey days!!
For one of his goals in that memorable hat-trick against host Australia in the quarter final of 1956 Olympics, Avery Brundage the chief of Olympics Association while watching this match suddenly jumped from his seat and asked his aide with surprise “watch this Indian so cleverly playing” and further murmered saying “is he really an Indian?”. Neville D’Souza was a Goan and was proud to be a Goan. Also, the goal he scored against Yugoslavia in the semifinal was such a fantastic that after watching this match the president of FIFA Sir Stanley Rous wrote thus “five times this Indian cut the ball across the defenders blocking his way (a la Maradona??) and booted such a classical goal with a thunderbolt”. This goal was ultimately considered as the goal of the tournament.
Goa was annexed by Bharat in December 1961 and suddenly there was abrupt halt in the normal and smooth ascendancy of great Goan soccer. 1962 remained dormant for high caliber Goan soccer as everybody especially the Delhi Babus who were running the affairs of Goan administration were busy in robbing Goa. They were third class deputationists sent from Delhi by the third class Congress Government of third class premier Nehru to disgrace Goa and Goans. Yet somewhere late in the year 1962 Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and his colleagues who were ruling Goa Football Association then approached Mr. Handoo who was a special advisor to Government of India on Goa. Handoo was very close to Nehru and unfortunately according to information he was anti-Goan. Being jealous of high living standard of average Goan and also very high standard of Goans in soccer, he wanted to kill this game from Goa by not allowing refunctioning of soccer activities in Goa. When Dr. Gustavo Monteiro as the president of GFA during that time approached Handoo for funds and facilities to restart the League and knock-out Taca Goa tournaments, Handoo simply brought nonsensical objections. But Dr. Monteiro and his team had guts, wisdom and capacity to deal with these Bharati “Panpotti” officials since our Goan brothers were already known to handle top personnel from Portuguese Government. For them Handoo means just like any Bharati “Gandoo” who came to Goa during that time to destroy Goa and Goans. And in fact Handoo and all his fellow “gandoos” succeded in doing big damage to Goa, its culture and tradition and because of this damage done in early days of dirty Bharati Raj in Goa, we Goans and our Goa is still suffering.
Finally somewhere in 1963 under GFA Goan soccer League was re-started and in 1964 Goan team first time participated in National Santosh Trophy held at Madras. The team photograph is shown above. The performance of Goan team during its maiden appearance in Santosh Trophy was such that Goan players made mockery of every team they encountered till they reached the penultimate stage where they were beaten in a replay match thru unfair means. Because of injuries to key players, Goa asked for postponement of their replay but Goa’s request was turned down and with reserves and due to injuries, the match unfit players representing Goa, our team lost, nay made to lose thru chicanery by the Calcutta Bharati Babus. Even the bribery prone match referee was heavily bribed against Goans. But as a warning to All India Football Federation, Goa indicated that our boys are highly talented and highly skilful of which type you don’t see anywhere in India during those days. Echoing these feelings, National Press of India next day headlined on its sports page with bold capital letters saying “if India wants to bring back its soccer laurels, India must send its India XI selected team to Goa for practicing against Goan lads and learn from Goan players finer points of soccer”. Goan footballers inherited much of soccer charm from the highly talented Portuguese Pakle footballers who were regularly coming to Goa for their Army and other engagements. When Candolim entered in 1st division, 5 top Pakle soldiers stationed at Aguada were playing for Candolim team. I am yet to see such fantastic players anywhere in Goa now, one of them was a goalkeeper.
Goa was annexed by Bharat in December 1961 and suddenly there was abrupt halt in the normal and smooth ascendancy of great Goan soccer. 1962 remained dormant for high caliber Goan soccer as everybody especially the Delhi Babus who were running the affairs of Goan administration were busy in robbing Goa. They were third class deputationists sent from Delhi by the third class Congress Government of third class premier Nehru to disgrace Goa and Goans. Yet somewhere late in the year 1962 Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and his colleagues who were ruling Goa Football Association then approached Mr. Handoo who was a special advisor to Government of India on Goa. Handoo was very close to Nehru and unfortunately according to information he was anti-Goan. Being jealous of high living standard of average Goan and also very high standard of Goans in soccer, he wanted to kill this game from Goa by not allowing refunctioning of soccer activities in Goa. When Dr. Gustavo Monteiro as the president of GFA during that time approached Handoo for funds and facilities to restart the League and knock-out Taca Goa tournaments, Handoo simply brought nonsensical objections. But Dr. Monteiro and his team had guts, wisdom and capacity to deal with these Bharati “Panpotti” officials since our Goan brothers were already known to handle top personnel from Portuguese Government. For them Handoo means just like any Bharati “Gandoo” who came to Goa during that time to destroy Goa and Goans. And in fact Handoo and all his fellow “gandoos” succeded in doing big damage to Goa, its culture and tradition and because of this damage done in early days of dirty Bharati Raj in Goa, we Goans and our Goa is still suffering.
Finally somewhere in 1963 under GFA Goan soccer League was re-started and in 1964 Goan team first time participated in National Santosh Trophy held at Madras. The team photograph is shown above. The performance of Goan team during its maiden appearance in Santosh Trophy was such that Goan players made mockery of every team they encountered till they reached the penultimate stage where they were beaten in a replay match thru unfair means. Because of injuries to key players, Goa asked for postponement of their replay but Goa’s request was turned down and with reserves and due to injuries, the match unfit players representing Goa, our team lost, nay made to lose thru chicanery by the Calcutta Bharati Babus. Even the bribery prone match referee was heavily bribed against Goans. But as a warning to All India Football Federation, Goa indicated that our boys are highly talented and highly skilful of which type you don’t see anywhere in India during those days. Echoing these feelings, National Press of India next day headlined on its sports page with bold capital letters saying “if India wants to bring back its soccer laurels, India must send its India XI selected team to Goa for practicing against Goan lads and learn from Goan players finer points of soccer”. Goan footballers inherited much of soccer charm from the highly talented Portuguese Pakle footballers who were regularly coming to Goa for their Army and other engagements. When Candolim entered in 1st division, 5 top Pakle soldiers stationed at Aguada were playing for Candolim team. I am yet to see such fantastic players anywhere in Goa now, one of them was a goalkeeper.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
To be concluded.
