St. Joseph’s High School Arpora, Bardez, Goa was the first English High School of Goa. This school used to cater to the needs of daily and boarder students. Daily students used to come from distant places on foot while boarders were from all over Goa. In this way I could rightly say that this school was the home for Goan students from all over Goa. Among these students were scholars in academic careers and experts in sporting fields. During those days if you are best at Arpora school in any field either in education or in sports, you were considered the best in Goa. For this reason Arpora school was considered as the cradle for best students in studies and best sportsmen in sporting activities. This tradition was maintained by me till my completing of my academic career there as till my last day in school I was considered as the best athlete of Goa.
Candolim was considered as one of the nurseries of producing best of sportsmen of Goa. Candolim is on record to produce best of athletes of Goa. My uncle – Mama – my mother’s brother Mac Franklin Vaz during his younger days was considered the best athlete of Goa excelling extremely well in Long Jump. In this area he used to destroy and defeat miserably even the great Portuguese Pakles and Khapris. During those days even the Portuguese Governador once came to see him taking long jump in a challenge bout where he performed something unimaginable feat about 60 years back. His younger brother and my other uncle Dioginho Vaz was the best footballer in whole of Bardez during those days. According to elders he was much better than the legendary Abu from Vasco and as per Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and his brother Pe. Chico, Candolim is yet to produce such a dynamic footballer. During my time after Bharati Raj in Goa, we the three brothers had a unique distinction of playing for one All Goa Inter-Village winning soccer team, Candolim Sports Club. I was the youngest player playing as right half while my late brother Jose Marie was centre half and my eldest brother Cheddo was a forward. Besides, Candolim produced many other great soccer stalwarts who donned the colours of best of teams in Goa and in Bombay.
Machado brothers from Candolim were very prominent sportsmen in Goa. Both the youngest Babazinho and the eldest Andre were the great stalwarts of Arpora School in mid fifties taking part in number of sporting items besides soccer. Both of them were the members of Bardez XI among the Portuguese Pakles, during those days the selection was very stiff because of best of Portuguese talent available in plenty. Both the Machado brothers were the regular players of Arpora School team and Candolim team too. Babazinho was an ace dribbler and such an expert dribbler till today I haven't seen anywhere. Later on Domnick Soares from Saligao playing for Vasco Sports Club proved to be a very talented dribbler but he was nowhere near Babazinho. Even the best of Portuguese Pakle defenders used to get annoyed at Babazinho for his prowess in dribbling.
Candolim was considered as one of the nurseries of producing best of sportsmen of Goa. Candolim is on record to produce best of athletes of Goa. My uncle – Mama – my mother’s brother Mac Franklin Vaz during his younger days was considered the best athlete of Goa excelling extremely well in Long Jump. In this area he used to destroy and defeat miserably even the great Portuguese Pakles and Khapris. During those days even the Portuguese Governador once came to see him taking long jump in a challenge bout where he performed something unimaginable feat about 60 years back. His younger brother and my other uncle Dioginho Vaz was the best footballer in whole of Bardez during those days. According to elders he was much better than the legendary Abu from Vasco and as per Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and his brother Pe. Chico, Candolim is yet to produce such a dynamic footballer. During my time after Bharati Raj in Goa, we the three brothers had a unique distinction of playing for one All Goa Inter-Village winning soccer team, Candolim Sports Club. I was the youngest player playing as right half while my late brother Jose Marie was centre half and my eldest brother Cheddo was a forward. Besides, Candolim produced many other great soccer stalwarts who donned the colours of best of teams in Goa and in Bombay.
Machado brothers from Candolim were very prominent sportsmen in Goa. Both the youngest Babazinho and the eldest Andre were the great stalwarts of Arpora School in mid fifties taking part in number of sporting items besides soccer. Both of them were the members of Bardez XI among the Portuguese Pakles, during those days the selection was very stiff because of best of Portuguese talent available in plenty. Both the Machado brothers were the regular players of Arpora School team and Candolim team too. Babazinho was an ace dribbler and such an expert dribbler till today I haven't seen anywhere. Later on Domnick Soares from Saligao playing for Vasco Sports Club proved to be a very talented dribbler but he was nowhere near Babazinho. Even the best of Portuguese Pakle defenders used to get annoyed at Babazinho for his prowess in dribbling.
Andre was the captain of Candolim team when Candolim was promoted to Primeiro Divisao somewhere in 1957. During those days there were only two divisions, one Primeiro and the other Secundo Divisao. For a small village Candolim to send its village level team in first division was not a joke when there were so many top club level teams fielding top Portuguese players. Andre as a skipper of the team was like a giant manning the whole defence of Candolim against the mighty teams fielding some of the top Portuguese Pakles. The late Kuwait based Goan Tiatrist Tony Cal was an excellent goalkeeper of Candolim team then and doing his job extremely well under Candolim bar. With the exception of my eldest brother all those great footballers of that era from Candolim and surrounding areas have died and gone. May the Heavenly God give their souls eternal peace and still surviving one long healthy life.
Andre was a very disciplined and decent player not only on the field but also outside the playing field. He enjoyed good respect even from the opponents. He was exceptionally talented in both the legs and very good in aerial duels. His marking of the opponent forwards was very good and his judgement was exceptionally fine. Fr. Mendonca of Arpora School and Dr. Gustavo Monteiro the then President of Goa Foot-ball Association always appreciated Andre’s game. He along with my brother Jose Marie was instrumental in pushing Sesa’s management to form its soccer team somewhere in 1964. When Sesa Goa formally started its soccer team in 1965 in second division at Mapusa, Andre Machado was the captain of the team and also the major pillar of Sesa. He gave his best to develop and to promote SESA and if later on SESA became what it was, I can rightly say that it was mainly due to the strong base put by Andre Machado, my late brother Jose Marie who after Andre’s retirement became the skipper of SESA Goa and many others of that team. Many of the seniors in our community and mainly ex Arporites will surely remember the contribution of Andre Machado in the development and promotion of soccer.
Andre played last for Candolim as captain in 1965 the year Candolim became Goa Champion at All Goa Inter-village soccer tournament conducted by Goa Football Association at Mapusa I was the youngest member of that winning team starting my career two years earlier under the guidance of seniors including Andre who used to support me a lot while playing. He was putting extra efforts to guide me and to cover my area as we both were playing on the right flank. Since he was working for Sesa Goa at Sircaim, he got married to his beautiful wife Veronica and settled in Tivim only for rest of his life. One of his daughters got married to Casmiro Palha from Candolim, currently working in Dubai. Palha was an international goalkeeper playing for India and was the best goalkeeper of Goa some years back.
Andre was a very disciplined and decent player not only on the field but also outside the playing field. He enjoyed good respect even from the opponents. He was exceptionally talented in both the legs and very good in aerial duels. His marking of the opponent forwards was very good and his judgement was exceptionally fine. Fr. Mendonca of Arpora School and Dr. Gustavo Monteiro the then President of Goa Foot-ball Association always appreciated Andre’s game. He along with my brother Jose Marie was instrumental in pushing Sesa’s management to form its soccer team somewhere in 1964. When Sesa Goa formally started its soccer team in 1965 in second division at Mapusa, Andre Machado was the captain of the team and also the major pillar of Sesa. He gave his best to develop and to promote SESA and if later on SESA became what it was, I can rightly say that it was mainly due to the strong base put by Andre Machado, my late brother Jose Marie who after Andre’s retirement became the skipper of SESA Goa and many others of that team. Many of the seniors in our community and mainly ex Arporites will surely remember the contribution of Andre Machado in the development and promotion of soccer.
Andre played last for Candolim as captain in 1965 the year Candolim became Goa Champion at All Goa Inter-village soccer tournament conducted by Goa Football Association at Mapusa I was the youngest member of that winning team starting my career two years earlier under the guidance of seniors including Andre who used to support me a lot while playing. He was putting extra efforts to guide me and to cover my area as we both were playing on the right flank. Since he was working for Sesa Goa at Sircaim, he got married to his beautiful wife Veronica and settled in Tivim only for rest of his life. One of his daughters got married to Casmiro Palha from Candolim, currently working in Dubai. Palha was an international goalkeeper playing for India and was the best goalkeeper of Goa some years back.
In Andre’s death on 28th of last month, Candolim lost a great soccer player of yesteryears. His death was a great loss to Goan soccer as well. May his soul rest in peace.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
