GREAT FOOTBALLER MENINOI FIGUEREDO HONOURED.

 

Referring to the photograph in Herald of 03.10.21 of Churchill Alemao paying a visit to the then mighty Goan foot-baller Menino Figueredo to felicitate and to wish Menino Figueredo “A Happy Birthday”.  Churchill Alemao visited him I think not only to felicitate and wish him a happy 85^th birthday but  to pay his well deserved respect. Such visits, felicitations and respects for such retired players are rarity nowadays but with Churchill Alemao anything is possible.  His heart melts easily when he sees such persons like Menino Figueredo who  contributed so much for the promotion and development of Goan soccer and about which he had a mastery by playing as one of the best India has ever produced and as the best Goa too has ever produced.  To snatch the ball from his opponents’ feet however much magnetized it to his feet but  like a Lion Menino Figueredo would pounce on any of the best foot-ballers mainly the forwards either the  Goan, Indian or Portuguese during the colonial regime when Goa produced the glorious footballers in Goa because Goan players then playing with the top oppositon from the Portuguese.  Not only that, besides Goans of that era had great opportunities to play, learn and improve their own game by learning from the best of Portuguese players who were the part of Portuguese Military and Police force stationed in Goa.  

 

And let it be known to everyone that during the last few years of Portuguese rule in Goa, it was so beneficial and prosperous to Goa that Portuguese government of Dr. Antonio Oliveira Salazar impressed upon his administration in Goa to create best of opportunities to Goans not only in the economic field but also in Sports and other fields stressing more on soccer.  To produce the required results he even appointed  a charismatic and very people meaning Goans, friendly Governador Vassalo e Silva. The golden era had just dawned on Goa and if it was not on one fine Night of 18^th December if Goa was not robbed by its own neighbour who was barking in the name of Non-Violence finally itself used violence to grab Goa in the name of fake Liberation.  Menino learning from the Portuguese the best of soccer finally became the best Goan defender where he was playing as a right back and playing just like the Argentinian captain of 1978 World Cup winning squad, Daniel Pasarrela.  By respecting Menino Figueredo in this manner,  Churchill Alemao proved that there is also respect for “Moddlolo Khuris” by not neglecting the aged Menino Figueredo.   My admiration goes to Churchill Alemao for indicating his humane characteristic and I request him to create some avenues  to aid some of those senior sportsmen facing financial deficiencies.

I have special affection for Menino Figueredo for having played with him as his opponent at the very young age when I was as a St. Joseph’s High School Arpora, Student recruited by Sesa Goa for their team somewhere in 1966 when Menino shifted his original position from right back to Centre Half where he lost his earlier charm as right back and where he was extremely good by being equally good in both his legs and in the aerial duels he was too good. His long inning for Salgaocars moulded him into a finest player of whose type Goa is yet to produce.  His 1 minute absence on the field would create an adverse effect on their team as it happened  In  1959  at Police Ground in Panjim, Salgaocars were leading by 2-0 goals, However, in the second half due to injury Menino was substituted creating a void in their defense making their opponents  not only to equalise both the goals  but also in the dying seconds to score the match winner.

Taking this opportunity, I wish Menino Figueredo thouh belatedly a very happy 85^th birthday and good health.

 

A.Veronica Fernandes.

 

 

 

   

NICCE KONKANI SONG - DUET - BY SALVADOR & DANZILA IN UTUBE.

 

One of the most popular Non-Professional Tiatrists and Singers of Konkani Stage is, if I am not mistaken, Salvador Silveira from that World famous touristic place and village known as Calangute which is also known everywhere as the Queen of Beaches.  Having produced great Goan stalwarts in diverse fields be it in Athletics, Football, Tiatros, Mandos and Songsters, one of  the great Songsters is none other than the well-known composer cum singer Salvador Silveira residing in the pictorial coastal part of Calangute.  A man with a broad smile on his face, is full of new new ideas to compose songs such as Solos, Duos, Duets, Trios and Quarters.

 

Recently he has released his new song “Uzvaddd Jivitacho” which he sings with his cousin sister Denzila who sings as a blind girl shown indicating she is going to receive her “Satvo Sacrament”.  She sings this duet with Salvador Silveira who as her father does justice to his role.  Otherwise he is a very good singer and he knows how to beautify his way of singing.  A well experienced and seasoned singer he got the art of singing very well. 

 

This song of his he uploaded in the UTUBE of his Channel where so far he succeeded in uploading above 60 of his songs, a part of it was uploaded thru his own Channel when he established it.  In this Duet he beautifully depicts Denzilla as a blind young girl going to get  married and she looks pretty well in her bridal gown that brings extra beauty to her already beautiful self while Salvador as her father seen well singing his part while giving his “AXIRVAD”.

 

The song is well renderd with the beautiful musical score.  It is worth admiring, worth watching  and worth listening.

 

Well done S;avador Silveira and my congratulations to you. You are doing a good job not only in the promotion of Tatros - Zagors and  Songs but also in the promotion of Konkani Language.

 

A.Veronica Fernandes.     

 

WHAT WILL BE THE FATE OF CONGRESS IN THE ABSENCE OF LUIZINHO FALEIRO.

 

Luizinho Faleiro ultimately left Congress Party that gave him strong footing to live like a lord in Goa because  Congress Party became the party of Lords after the British left from India by handing over the power into the hands of Congressmen indircctly telling them to act as Monarchs on their behalf.  Luizinho Faleiro was one such Monarch, when he newly joined Congress Party and maneuvering his path to reach to the pedestal which  he ultimately got but if he was in any other party he would never get an opportunity to reach to the pedestal.  Congress Party  also makes you somebody but just he did not get what he wanted,  should he resign from the Party?  If he was genuine lover of Goa and Goan cause he would have submitted his resignation immeditetely when the Congress High Command emissary Digvijay prevented him from submitting  his list to the concerned authority to form Congress Ministry following the last election results  when Congress Party had majority in its hands besides propped up by 4 MLA’s from elsewhere.  If he had to throw his resignation on the ugly face of ugly Digvijay then the situation would have been different.

 

Four years back when the topic of distribution of the election contesting tickets came, Congress Party organized a meeting at Hotel Mandovi with a Luncheon.  Suddenly at about 1.00 pm I got a phone call from Luizinho Faleiro inviting me immdiately for the Luncheon that I politely turned down but he insisted.  Then obliging him, I rushed to Mandovi Hotel where I was welcomed  by Luizinho who was seated in a secluded place adjoining  the Banquet Hall along with Agnelo Fernandes.  I was nobody of Cogress Party but a strong supporter of Congress  not because I love the Party  and the Partymen more but because others  were worst but Luizinho Faleiro respected my views that were published in the media and those views of mine were creating strong opinion into the minds of the people.  This is the only reason I had then for inviting me for that Meet otherwise I am just a small mosquito.  Then Luizinho Faleiro started saying that he,  means Congress party would like to solicit my support for its candidate in Calangute Constituency and went on further  uttering the big name with big volume of his voice to impress upon me to toe his line in the name of Sonia Gandhi  saying that  “MADAME SONIA Gandhi has instructed me to get by all means the victory for Congress Party in Goa and in this direction said he, I am doing everything possible and for this goal we need your support.  Then I asked him who are your contestants?  Are they  capable?  For this he answered saying “this time I have selected a very good team of young dynamic candidates  and they will do a very good job.  Then I told  Luizinho Faleiro with a very serious tone of mine in front of Agnelo Fernandes with whom at that time my personal relationship was not good as it was with many of the people from Candolim.  However, as a matter of fact Agnelo Fernandes created ill image of his by acting extremely hard and arrogant with his local supporters,  then  I spoke like this “ Baba Luizin, you may field any dynamic and youthful team but I will support a candidate in our Constituency who is good in all respects even morally and spiritually but I will never support a defeated candidate in the last election because people will never vote for him once they have rejected him at the husting. Incidentally Agnelo Fernandes was the defeated candidate of Congress in the previous election and he contested from    

 

Luizinho Faleiro  the way he was talking to me was giving an impression thru his body language that he was like the whole and sole of Congress Party and Sonia Ghandi whom he addresses as Madame.  But within 4 years where is Luizinho Faleiro?  Is he disappeared from the Congress Party that he was promoting?  Now, again I tell all the Parties and their Candidates,  do not dump on our heads idiots and tell us to vote for them since Congress Party has got the habit of doing the selection of their candidates from closed door rooms.  This time also I am sure they will select such an idiot whom voters and Congres suppoters must reject now.  Let the message go to Congress and their High Command that we will never support a candidste imposed on us from Delhi who does not have proper knowledge of Goa and what type of candidate Goans want.  We the voters must be firm in our resolve to defeat the Congress candidate who is not a people choice but the choice of some chamchas of Congress Party.  Congress must tell Girish the Congress President of Goa to be careful, Girish  himself  is not capable to handle his job, he receives no  full allegiance from his partymen, his  leadership is very weak, in fact he  cannot speak properly, Congress Party should select  a people friendly candidate whose public relations is excellent.  We will never be a candidate coming from the back door by using his financial and physical power, we do not want a candidate who thinks great for him and we never want a candidate who does not want to hello a common man. 

 

For the time bein I halt it here but surely I will come back shortly on this topic because Congress Party will put us in big problem by selecting unfit candidates who   will be most probably an anti-people candidate.

 

FINALLY, since the last election Congress party fought its election on the plank where it was not shown nor anywhere any indication given WHO WIL BE ITS CHIEF MINISTERIAL CANDIDATE? And in fact because this  subject was not clearly specified, there was a “Q” at the eleventh hour of all the seniors to put his claim for the Chief Minister.  Now, to avoid its re-occurrence, we must have and for which we demand in advance the name of Chief Ministerial candidate.

 

A.Veronica Fernandes.