KIFF 7-A-SIDE SOCCER TOURNEY IN KUWAIT.

KIFF VETERANS 7 A SIDE TOURNAMENT

INDIAN STRIKERS LIFT KIFF TROPHY

A large weekend crowd witnessed Indian Strikers edge AVC Sports & Cultural Association in the tie breaker 3-2 after normal time had ended goalless, to win the annual Veterans 7-A-Side soccer tournament organized by Kuwait Indian Football Federation and played at the MOH Grounds (Shuwaikh) on 1st March 2013.

 

This popular tournament conducted annually for players above the age of 35, who are not registered with affiliated clubs, featured 16 teams and was played on a knock out basis. Pool A had Santos Football Club, DHL, United Friends Club, Kuwait Goan Association, Indian Strikers, Santos United, Malabar United and CRC Chinchinim, while Pool B was made up of Curtorcares United, Kerala Challengers, United Goans Centre, Skynet Raiders, KGA Red, AVC, Youth Recreation Centre and Don Bosco Oratory. Indian Strikers led by the charismatic senior veteran Robert got the better of Santos FC, Malabar and KGA on their way to the final while AVC fielding the likes of Romel, Damian and Milagres had to beat KGA, Don Bosco Oratory and Kerala Challengers to reach the final.

Before the start of the final, KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes appreciated the participation of the veteran players in this unique tournament, saying ‘Sports keep the mind and body active’. He thanked the sponsors and various other people who supported the tournament and then led the guests made up of his managing committee, ex-presidents, club presidents, sponsors, and IFRA President to be introduced to the two finalist.

During the prize distribution ceremony, gifts were given to IFRA referees by Fidelis Fernandes. Cosme Viegas who played at the age of 67 was awarded the oldest player by Seby Dias the KIFF Reliever, Fair Play trophy was won by Kerala Challengers and given by Francis Fernandes, IFRA President. Man of the Match was won by Latif, the goalkeeper of Indian Strikers and given by Kevin Vaz the sport secretary, and Adly D’Lima KIFF treasurer gave away the runners up individual trophies to AVC Sports & Cultural Association. The runner up trophy was given by Derick Gomindes, V. President of KIFF. Individual winner trophies were given by Praveen Kumar, Gen. Secretary while the winner’s trophy was given by Fidelis Fernandes, KIFF President.

The tournament was sponsored by Xavier Furtado, Clifford Pinto, Tony Dias, V.K. Vohra, Bosco Leitao, Tony Correia, Vinay Kumar, B. M . Viegas, Agnelo Fernandes, Pascoal Afonso, Damian DÇruz and Fidelis Fernandes. All the matches were officiated by Indian Football Referees Association (IFRA) and the entire event was compered by Kevin Vaz and Julio Cardoso.

GOAN GIRL PENNY REBELLO SOCCER UMPIRE IN KUWAIT.

Penny Rebello seen in action on the Lines. 

l ike father – like daughter.  Thus goes the saying. This daughter is none other than the young and youthful daughter of once India’s top football defender Anton Rebello from Curtorim, Salcette, Goa.  Her name is Penny Rebello who is employed in Kuwait at Don Bosco High School - Kuwait as a PT Teacher having done her graduation in Physical Education in Goa.  Inheriting all the sporting qualities of her once renowned footballer father who had great distinction of playing for Salgaocar Sports Club-Goa,  representing Goa in the Nationals and India XI as well a number of times in international outings, Penny as a  sportsperson in Goa at school, College and Goa level  created a name and fame for her.  She is not an ordinary sportsperson but very renowned one in Goa before taking up an employment in Kuwait.  She represented not only her School, College, University and Goa in different disciplines of the sports including soccer but above all she represented India in Volley ball and toured Portugal and Germany playing volley-ball for India with great distinction. 

Penny Rebello with her Papa Anton. 

 Last Friday on 1^st of this month during the one day soccer extravaganza for the veterans under Kuwait Indian Football Federation, she surprised everyone there by doing the job of the Linesman with courage and confidence.  I think she is the first female in Kuwait to do the Linesman job and that too so perfectly well.

Anton Rebello seen with a Memento presented to him in Kuwait a few years back for his excellence in soccer. 

As a member of Indian Football Referees Association in Kuwait Penny  is well versed in soccer laws and shortly she may surprise us all by umpiring  the games from the centre as being done in many parts of the world.

Penny Rebello seen extreme left before the start of the match.

It is a big honour for Goans in Kuwait to have among them such a high caliber athlete. She deserve our support and encouragement for her further promotion in this field.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

A WELL PLANNED RAPE AND A COVER UP WITH PRECISION

 

By Aires Rodrigues

 

On 14th March it will be two months that the 7 year old girl was brutally raped in broad day light in the toilet of Deep Vihar School at Vasco run by the Mormugao Port trust. The rapist is not yet nabbed, the same being the case with the school staff headed by Headmistress Sharlet Furtado. No one has been nailed as yet.

The police were informed only three hours after the ghastly rape while the school staff washed away all the evidence. Led by Headmistress Sharlet Furtado, Class teacher Mrs. Deesha Kavathankar and head clerk Mrs. Brazina Godinho the school staff high-handedly destroyed all evidence by washing the victim’s clothes, giving her bath and cleaning the toilet after the sexual assault. Shockingly the victim received medical attention only eight hours after she was brutally raped while she received counseling only 15 days later.

The victim has now identified the alleged rapist from the photo as being Monty M. Sanchez who is the nephew of the headmistress. The alleged rapist had visited the school on a couple of occasions prior to the rape and offered the victim chocolates. The victim has also identified from the picture Ashville Furtado the son of the Headmistress as being the person who had accompanied the alleged rapist, with a guitar, when he visited the school earlier.

Interestingly the school has around five maids positioned outside the toilets to help the children. On that fateful day mysteriously none of them were around. The rapist was fully aware that the victim due to a leg injury was on those days not going out on the playground during recess and used to remain in the class room.

The authorities have intentionally and malafiedly taken the investigation totally off track. The entire exercise is to ensure a cover up for the accused who are politically very well connected. Hundreds of Vasco residents have been interrogated though the needle of suspicion is abundantly clear. All that the police have to do is to physically confront Monty and Ashville with the victim girl. While Monty has allegedly fled to Dubai, Ashville is now at M.V.J College of Engineering at Bangalore. The police needed to also probe whether they were part of a larger crime ring against children. The police would have swung into action only if the victim was the child of a politician, cash loaded businessman or perhaps the child of a police officer

A perusal of the manner in which the Crime has been committed it is obvious that it has not been the rapist’s first such crime, and if he is not nabbed, it may not be his last. It is abundantly clear that the Headmistress and the staff abetted in this gory crime. If the rapist was a stranger as falsely claimed by the Headmistress he should have when spotted been escorted out of the school premises and handed over the police in which case the child would have been saved of this trauma of rape. The Headmistress and the staff failed in their bounden duty to ensure the child a safe environment

The Mormugao Port Trust which runs the school have been equally guilty of the cover up by sending its officer Suresh Shirwadkar to the victim’s home with a draft of Rs five lakhs to try and hush up the case .

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has tried to play to the gallery, but till date has not cared to visit the victim and her family. Infact on the day of the Crime he was celebrating at the local MLA’s birthday in the neighborhood of the scene of offence. The Chief Minister has publicly and repeatedly proclaimed that the victim and the family will get justice but the cover up by the authorities is blatant. On 11th February when the victim’s father along with some other parents accompanied by the local MLA met the Chief Minister he expressed his deep anger and resentment that the victim’s father had engaged me a his lawyer. Was the Chief Minister looking for an advocate who would bend and play to the cover up tunes of the authorities?

The Goa Children’s Act is unique wherein the burden of proving that the crime has not been committed is on the Accused.

After the December rape case in Delhi, candle light vigils and protests were held in Goa. But sadly when our very own little 7 year old innocent was brutally raped, Goa did not rise to the occasion. We have depicted our strange trait of rising only when it personally pinches us.

The School, the Police and the Government have miserably let down the chubby little victim and her grief stricken family. On 9th March this government will complete a year in office. Amongst its many misdeeds of the year, this hush up of the Vasco rape case will figure prominently. Now the Judiciary stands as the only hope for the victim and her family. May justice prevail.

The 7 year old little girl has her whole life ahead. She is too tender to realize what has been inflicted on her. We need to keep her in our thoughts and prayers that the Almighty may be her guiding light through this gruesome crime committed on her. I am reminded of the words of Carlos Santana “Look in the mirror and say to yourself, I am innocent and I am beautiful and I am pure. And I am not what happened to me.”