WELCOME TO GOA - THE PRESIDENT OF PORTUGAL.

With all my love and affection,  I, on my behalf as well as on behalf of all the like minded “nizache Goenkar”, welcome the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza to Goa today for a two day State visit to Goa.  During his two day visit to Goa he will sign an MoU on Water and Sewerage Management between Portugal and the Public Works Department, Goa. I am sure Goa will surely gain a lot in this joint venture where Portuguese know how is vastly superior because our so called experts are lacking in the proper expertise in many of the fields because they passed their exams in those subjects they are especialised with less marks as they are given preferential treatment being the members of Backward class/caste.  These are the same Engineers and Geologists who planned the first Mandovi Bridge which within a few years collapsed.  It was planned and approved by some of the experts who passed their final exam with less marks because they were given grace marks because they belonged to the Backward class/caste.

   

When the Portuguese government made its decision to build this Bridge during their last years in Goa, a team of top experts in Bridge building came to Goa from Portugal and first they discarded the very same spot the Indian donkeys selected and where they finally built the Bridge which ultimately collapsed within 15 years.  The Portuguese Engineers told that the spot where the Indian Engineers built  later on and the same known as Mandovi Bridge was collapsed, will not withstand the fury of lower current and finally what  the Portuguese experts predicted and analysed correctly that only happened.  Viva Portugal for their system and discipline.  

I am sure even the Atomic device India manufactured must be having some defects because of weak and defective methods used by our scientists who are among the most corrupt experts becauae many of them must be coming from Backward class/caste who got their Engineering and professional degrees with grace marks for belonging to the lower caste/class.  They don’t have patriotism and if they had they would not sell Atomic secrets some years back for a Whiskey Bottle and other such gifts.  

     

My connection and affiliation to Portugal will never die down even though we were denied our freedom and independence by the Portuguese government for which I totally hold Portugal under Salazarist dictatorial regine responsible and not the visiting Portuguese President nor the current government in Portugal.   All the governments that came to power after the end of Salazar and Zalazarist system were equally the victims of Salazarist brutalities, most of the members of these governments were also fighting to overthrow the Salazarists in Portugal because they were democrats and to introduce this system they were fighting against the dictatorial regime.  If the Salazarists had to fall  before 1961 instead of in 1974, I am sure without any hassle they would give not only the suppressed liberation for Goa as we have now  but full fledged independence for Goa as they  gave to Mocambique, Angola and other Portuguese colonies where many of our Freedom Fighters would be holding  the top positions as Premier – President and so on.  But with the so called fake liberation they had to eat “kuslelim ghottam”.

I am also grateful to Portugal for giving us some identity as Goans, good governance system and good discipline physical and moral. They did not develop us unwanted Ghantees.

Many of the Goan freedom fighters in the past during the visits of Portuguese government emissaries to Goa indicated their dislike for these visits of Portuguese VIP’s but they failed to accept the hard fact that all those visitors from Portugal have also suffered brutalities of Salazar because they were also fighting for the liberation of Portugaal from the clutches of Salazar.  After the fall of Salazarist regime, the  first anti-Salazar personality to visit Goa was the last Governador of Goa Vassalo e Silva.  The greatest friend, lover and saviour of Goa and Goans was he and precisely because of his love and deep affection for Goa and Goans he refused to implement the plan Salazar gave him to destroy Goa, burn it and turn into ashes. But he refused this brute order of Salazar and because of this refusal he was punished severely  by Salazar after he returned from invaded Goa to Portugal. I think it is his monument Goans must have built after the invasion of Goa. Do we have marbles to do this even now?  

The current President is the product of democratic mind set of Portugal and his love and affection for Goans as per my information is great indeed.  It is time for all Goans to welcome the Portugal 's President with open arms by saying VIVA PORTUGAL – VIVA PRESIDENT MARCELO REBELO DE SOUZA and VIVA GOA-PORTUGAL FRIENDSHIP.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

      

    

EX KUWAIT GOAN ROYAL AGNELO DIED

 It is with deep regret  and sorrow I write this piece to express my sorrow over the death  of one of my friends and colleagues, Agnelo Fernandes who also was a great lover  of Goa and popularly known as Royal Agnelo as  they were known in the name of ROYAL  in their  in his village Agacaim.  The death came on him on the 10^th of this monyh at 5.25 PM at Apollo Hospital, Margao,  he was undergoing Dialysis and during the last days he was almost in Coma from where he never recovered.

A father of 4 children – 2 boys and 2 girls, he was very popular in Kuwait among the expatriate Goans because of his social work and sporting activities he used to organized, so too the Goan cultural. He has helped many Goans who were afflicted with many difficulties financial being on the top where he helped so many.  Those who  we  were not having proper residence permit facilities he helped them in overcoming this difficulty even by keeping at his foown reaidential place.

His love for Goa and Konkani was infinite as it was proved by his patronage, involvement in Konkani promotion associations especially in Kuwait Konknni Kendr, Konkan Heritage and in the activities done for promotion Konkani cause.  He was one of the Agxikars who was instrumental in going ahead with the project of the erection of Konkani Martyrs headed by Florian Vaz and the remaining all from Agacaim and surrounding areas. He never felt shy to render financial assistance for the Konkani cause.

To help support and promote our Cultural items, he organised Tiatros in Kuwait by bringing especial troop of Tiatro fromGoa, eg. Felcy’s. His continued financial support to the Tiatros and Mando Festivals  was the right step in the promotion of our Cultural items. When Mangalorean Konkani promote Eric Ozario came to Kuwait with his Bosni which means Eric Ozario with his musical troop of musicians would occupy their seats on the ground while audience would also remain seated in front of him  and he would give speeches on variety of subjects pertaining to Konkani.  After finishing his speech on each he would render a cultural and tradional song with the accompaniment  of the Misical score provided by his own musical troop,

His biggest activity was the formation in Kuwait of his foot-ball team named as Royal  XI which had wonderful players that  created a very good team of Royal Agnelo that won number of Trophies in soccer, as winners as well as rnners-up. Thru this team Royal Agnelo gained lot of goodwill and prominence in Kuwait among Goans.  Because they were playing for his team, he  was helping some of his players in obtaining Residence Permits for them, jobs and many other amenities.

His worst misery was on 2^nd August 1990 when in the early morning while going to work driving his own car and wearing the Boiler Suit,  was caught by the Bastardised Iraqi Millitary personnel headed by the polluted Muslim leadership based in Baghdad, then they took him along with others to Bashra where they kept him for about a month and about this whereabout of him was not known to his family members who were in Kuwait and desperately waiting for his news whether he is alive or dead, then they lost all their hopes of seeing alive.  For one month in Iraqi Prison as Prisoner of War his life the Muslim soldiers made miserable, they did not allow him even to change his Boiler Suit which was smelling filthy, no water to have bath and no food properly and sleeping on the floor.  What was his and of his likes mistake?  These Bastards Iraqis made disgrace of our Brother Royal Agnelo and proved to the Jews, Christians and others how filthy their Iraq is.  Iraq was functioning  on the basis of its principles, then is this Iraqi principle to harass the  innocent people?  If this is their then I dislike it, instead I would rather embrace Judaism where they would treat the innocent people humanely.

The funeral of the late Agnelo Fernandes will take place on Saturday 15^th of this month at 4.00 PM at the Sada Christian Cemetry.  The body will will be taken for the burial from his residence at Keserwal – Cortalim at 3.00 PM.

May his soul Rest In Peace and may the Heavenly father give courage to all his family members to bear this colossal loss.

A.Veronica Fernandes

CANDOLIM FOOTBALL ARENA INAUGURATION.

10^th of February will remain an unique date in the history of Candolim Football arena because on this date the Candolim Foot-ball Arena was inaugurated  to cater to the needs of the football playing teams and players. It was the wonderful work done by the Candolim Panchayat under the leadership of young and energetic Sarpanch Blaize and his team of the Panchas.  

                                             Match is in progress

                                           Cidade de Goa team

The football ground was just repaired and reworked by spending lot of money by the Panchayat and the name of this Stadium is rightly retained as Dr. Gustavo Monteiro who has done so much for the development of Candolim soccer from early fifties when he  used to run the  Club almost single handedly even when the Candolim figured in the elite club of first division along with the then mighty teams of Goa dotted with some of the great Portuguese Pakle players from Portugal and also the Negro players from the Portuguese Colonies.  Can anyone remember the deadly magician right outer of Vasco Sports Club the renowned Arantel?  Similarly, can any one remember the much greater than all the greats from Portugal and its colonies, the gigantic and deadly sharp shooter Negro foot-baller playing for Bemfica's Mapusa as Centre forward?  Will we be able to see such genii again in our remaining life?  And is there anyone in my own village Candolim who remembers the 4 dynamic Prtuguese Pakle soldiers from Aguada who were inducted into the Candolim team thru the tremendous efforts of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro the moment  Candolim just a village team qualified into the Primeiro Divisao, thanks to the excellent efforts put in by Dr. Gustavo Monteiro to get them? Otherwise who else could do this job besides Dr. Gustavo in the absence of any other village stalwart? Why cannot we with the combined efforts of the Panchayat, local MLA Michael Lobo, family members of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and of course the locals jointly embark on the mission of erecting the Monument or at a least a bust of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro in view of the excellent work he did in the promotion of Candolim Foot-ball?  The team that Candolim had and that had qualified for the First Divission was known as dream team and  during those days the name and fame of that  dream soccer team of Candolim  even reached to Portugal.  Some of the players of that golden team were  Goalkeepers Antonio Cabral (Tony Cal) from Orda St. Cruz and Shripad near Shanta Durga Temple; Backs - Right: Andrew Machado from Orda St. Cruz and Baba Naik - Left Back;  Midfielders Madhu Left Half - Centre Half my one brother Jose Marie and Rright Half Bushan who never played with Boots;  Centre Forward Cheddo my other  brother, right wing Babazinho, left wing Kamal and left outer Satchut.  It is to be noted that in Candolim first time in the history 3 brothers played together namely Kamal-Madhu - Satchut and the second a team of three brothers played for one team of Candolim were Cheddo-Jose Marie -Antonio Veronica Fernandes.

                                          Seen above is Shawn Martins Ex Sarpanch of Calangute  

                                 Seen above are some spectators in front of Foot -ball Arena                             

The ground was left into the hands of Dr Gustavo Monteiro who in the mid sixties handed it over to the Candolim Panchayat which was the right decision. Though it was not his own ground but it belonged to  the Nuns who acquired it for them to construct a big Convent but due to some unavoidable circumstances, they were denied permission by their Headquarters to construct the Convent.  Then the Nuns  left Candolim and Goa as well by leaving that big property into the hands of Portuguese Patriarch of Goa from whom Dr. Gustavo Monteiro got it for the local boys to play foot-ball. Since it did not belong to Dr. Monteiro, he did the right thing by not keeping it for him.  

Since the custody of foot-ball ground is the monopoly of Panchayat, the leadership of Blaize as Sarpanch has created lot of activities for the local boys.  The local MLA Micahel Lobo is very helpful and co-operative in promoting these activities and speaking to me he said he will do everything within his capacity to develop Candolim boys in sports in general and in foot-ball in particulars.  This view in mind, Candolim Panchayat started  Foot-ball Academy in Candolim which is organized by the local soccer expert Ricardo Cardoso who was an international goalkeeper having vast experience in this field. He is the son of once renowned and highly professional goal-keeper of Goa during his days and who even started a soccer Academy in Candolim but as per information the moment the leadership of  local soccer body was changed then this Academy was stopped.  

Coming back to the Football Academy under the guidance of Ricardo Cardoso,  about 50 local young boys are getting training on this ground and as Mich/ael Lobo said within the next few years Candolim will produce some of the topmost Goan footballers.

                                           FC Goa players with Michael Lobo                                                                                                                               

                     Members of the Dr. Guustavo Monteiro's family.  1st on left is Carlos the younger son of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro.

                                List of the players who donned the colours of Candolim A Team 

                                          Seen are musicioans playing music

On 10^th afternoon the foot-ball ground and the entire stadium was having electrifying effect on the large number of spectators not only from Candolim but also from the ambient villages gathered to greet Coro and his other 2 FC colleagues Jahou and Mohammad Nawaz.  Coro was the Chief guest for the function to inaugurate the Football Arena  which he did in the presence of Michael Lobo and huge gathering.  Then a friendly foot-ball match was played between Churchill Bros. and Cidade de Goa which ended in a goalless draw and in the ensuing penalty shoot-out, the Cidade de Goa won the match. 

                                         Very busy man the compeer Xavier covering everything 

                                                                                     Another section of the spectators.

A.Veronica Fernandes.