MONTH'S MIND: J.F. SANTANA F. CARVALHO.

It is said that if you want to get best of education in the world you either go to Oxford in UK or Harvard & Yale in USA or Sorbonne in France or Vienna Music Academy in Austria and attain mastery of the subjects of your choice. Similarly, it was said in Goa years back that if you want to attain excellence in education and sports you go to Arpora Bardez and join St. Joseph’s High School there and attain all round excellence in life. That was the standard of that school once upon a time under the Principalship of Monsg. Philipe Neri Mendonca popularly known as Fr. Mendonca. Some of the great intellectuals of Goa of the past century were the products of this school.

“Cibaria Necessaria Sumite Et Abite” written in Latin was the motto of this school and it was indicated on the school emblem. The meaning of this in English is: ”Take the necessary food and depart”. Taking this view into consideration the late Santana Carvalho as a young boy bustling with energy and radiating positive thinking joined Arpora School after the end of the World War II not only to gain educational knowledge but also to excel in extracurricular activities including debates, dramas and sports. He was the regular participant in the annual school drama organized on the birthday of the school principal Fr. Mendonca. Music was his other specialty and playing of Violin was his forte.

However his main specialty was centered around sports and the game of soccer was his devotion playing as a regular for the then mighty school soccer team under its bar. He was extremely good goalkeeper and according to the elder teachers of that school, Arpora School has never produced such a gigantic and magestic keeper in its long and great history. During those days Arpora School soccer team was one of the best teams in Goa, so much so, even those great Goan teams dotted with exceptionally talented Portuguese players were afraid of Arpora School team because our Santan Carvalho under its bar was unbeatable.

During those days Arpora School team because of its very high standard had the unique distinction of playing a friendly soccer match at School ground against the visiting German team. No doubt our Carvalho was not schooling at Arpora at that time but if he was, surely he would be an automatic choice in the first eleven. When once I asked what was his feeling on this point he replied that it was the greatest “miss” of his life at Arpora where he achieved everything the best in educational field as well as on soccer field.

When he was playing for Arpora School all the spectators watching the game used to call him thus “COME ON LION”. Under their bar he was nicknamed as Lion after the name of Fr. Lyon a foreigner who founded this first High School of Goa which was then called as “COLLEGIO DIOCESAN DE ST. JOSE” because of its all-round high standard. Also, he was called a Lion because of his Lionic courage to put his big hand with very broad palm for any powerfully difficult ball thus preventing the ball from entering into his goal.

In his death last month Goa has lost one of the greatest soccer goalkeepers of all time. As a mark of respect for his excellent goalkeeping Goan soccer community in Goa and in Kuwait should do something to keep his memory alive which should not be allowed to get faded. Such excellent footballers do not come into this world very often for this reason we have to keep their memory alive.

In Kuwait he always supported soccer activities at Sour grounds and encouraged the Goan boys to take part in it. He not only loved soccer in general but he also loved active soccer played by Goans in Kuwait so enthusiastically.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

GOANS & PALESTINIANS. INDIA V/s PALESTINE SOCCER.

The situation of Palestinians and Goans is somewhat similar. Palestine was forcibly usurped by the Jews and converted it into Israel while Goa was forcibly invaded by Nehru’s Congress and forcibly annexed it to Bharat against the wishes of overwhelming majority of Goans. By their coming into Arab Palestine in greater number from all around the globe the demographic structure of Palestine is altered by the Jews in favour of them while Palestinian Arabs including Muslims and Christians are gone into minority in their own land thereby losing their Arab identity, culture, tradition, language, folklore and everything best associated with the Palestinian Arabs.

Similarly by Bharat’s forcibly annexation of Goa when Goa was not a part of Bharat, the demographic structure of Goa is getting upset due to the unwanted influx of enormous amount of non-Goans into Goa. These non-Goans are not only coming as visitors but they are in greater number coming to Goa and purchasing Goan land and settling down in Goa thereby introducing their dirty culture, dirty tradition, dirty habits and everything dirty and harsh associated with them. In fact generally speaking there is nothing good in Bharat, everything is worst which is foreign to genuine Goans. Because of the influx of non-Goans into Goa the genuine identity of Goa and Goans is diminishing.

It is over 60 years now Palestinians are fighting for their separate independent Palestinian State but Israel is adamant. Goans are also asking for Special Status with special privileges for Goa but Central government is closing its eyes and ears for Goa's demands. If this adamancy persists for long, the present generation and the generation to come, out of frustration against Central government’s step motherly treatment meted out to Goa, may demand total independence for Goa from Bharat because Goa was never a part of Bharat. The time for this demand may be closer otherwise Centre must heed Goa’s voice and accord especial status to Goa now only as per the wishes of the Goans. Many of the problems of India are due to the refusal of the genuine demands of the States by the Center. Central government consider itself as the “Dada” of India which is not correct. This Hitlerian attitude of the Centre must change as per the changing of the time in India.

Just like original Palestinians, Goans are also kind, big hearted and soft people and because of this they allowed to be captured and invaded by the foreign powers and invaders. Currently due to their hard life Palestinians are become very progressive in all the fields because they are become aware that only thru hard work they can achieve their goals. Sports is one field where they are doing well and especially in Soccer they are showing lot of improvement. Their soccer team is winning them laurels in the Arab World and in the Middle East as well. Recently in the last week their soccer team played against Indian National team at Delhi in India and surprisingly they defeated India by 4-2 goals. They not only defeated India by such a big margin but they also made misery of Indian footballers in every department of the game by outbeating every Indian player thereby putting the host into a big shame.

India’s tradition in soccer is longer than that of Palestinian tradition yet India is not a powerhouse in soccer. Palestine which is not even a full-fledged independent State being under the domination of Israel and yet beating such a mighty India means something to be applauded. Compared to India’s size, population and industrial development Palestine is minnow. What is the secret behind Palestine's victory over India? It is nothing but dedicated hard work they put in to brush their soccer skills with very limited financial resources at their disposal. Besides, the patriotic feelings Palestinians are having for Palestinian causes are great compared to what Indians are having for Indian causes.

These Palestinians are living for decades in Refugee Camps where there is no proper soccer ground but within available means they make maximum use. Instead of soccer balls Palestinians are familiar to see Bombs from Israelis but still they play better football. In India we have rain of water but in Palestine they experience rain of Bombs and bullets coming from Israelis and yet they play better football than Indians. What an excellent achievement!! I admire them especially for their killer instinct for victory, either on the sports field or on the battle field fighting against Israeli occupation of their land.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

VETERAN KUWAIT GOAN FOOT-BALLER JULIO CARDOSO.

Julio Cardoso

                                            Julio Cardoso in action.


Further to the review in this forum on 10th of this month on the soccer matches played on 8th Feb.2013 in the morning at Sabah Hospital Ministry Ground, I like to add something more on the match between G.O.A. Maroons and Don Bosco.

It was during the first match that I noticed veteran Julio Cardoso guarding the citadel of Maroons under their bar. I was surprised to see Julio still doing so well under Maroons bar inspite of his age. As a young boy in 1979 when we first initiated our competitive soccer activities at Sour Grounds, Julio Cardoso was one of the best custodians among Indians in particular and expatriates in general. From then till now he is still maintaining somewhat the same form means something cannot be imagined. Immaculately maintaining his youthful presentation on and off the field, he still exhibits his youthful reflexes between the two posts and above the bar his punching the ball was same as it was in 1979 in an acrobatic style. It is an incredible feat to maintain such a high level of goalkeeping for over 34 years while all his 1979 colleagues have completely disappeared from the soccer field as footballers.

On Friday 8th of this month if it was not for his daring saves Maroons should have gone down by a further margin of 3 more sure goals but Julio saved Maroons of further embarrassment. Maroons is no more a powerhouse as it was before but Julio under its bar makes Maroons a force to reckon with. Julio is the only surviving footballer from the group that participated in the inception year in 1979. If any player needs to be decorated with honour it should be Julio for playing continuously such a long period and for that matter playing effectively an important role in the team among young players some of whom were not even born when he started his career in soccer in 1979 by playing competitive football.

I am happy that by witnessing the match on last Friday I got an opportunity to pen down a deserving eulogy of his extremely good game at this ripe age. What he did on soccer field none among us in Kuwait did.

Both his young and youthful daughters are very fortunate to see their loving Papa in action as a footballer while the same luck God has not given to both the daughters of the great Maradona when they wanted very much to see physically their Papa in action. Unfortunately for them their Papa Maradona meantime already retired from active soccer. What Maradona’s both the daughters missed Julio Cardoso’s both the daughters got.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.