ADEUS SOUR GROUND GOAN SOCCER - I.
Football is a part of Goan life. Keeping this view in mind, United Goans
Centre in 1979 established the first ever competitive soccer not only for
Goans but also for all Indian players. Earlier Goans never thought of this
idea but they were great foot-ballers and soccer lovers. Some of the finest
foot-ballers who represented Goa during Portuguese era inspite of stiff
competition from the finest Portuguese �Pakle� and Negro players had played
at Ahmadi when they came to work at Kuwait Oil Sector. When UGC established
our competitive soccer at Sour Ground, it was on League-Cum-Knock Out basis
and it lasted for months. That time there were two grounds, one rather
smaller which is not existing now. The matches then were played in the
afternoons. Qualitatively and quantitatively the spectators were good, the
athmosphere during our matches was very friendly, spectators used to attend
the matches with festive and elegant dresses, ladies were plenty so too
senior Goan citizens. During those days attending our soccer matches at Sour
Ground was a matter of pride. During those days when I was supplying the
news of our soccer to both the local newspapers, even the sports editors
used to admire the love of Soccer among Kuwait Goans. One day Mr. Porter
the Sports Editor of Arab Times surprisingly asked me what I write is really
true of Goans at Sour Ground? I told him come and see on one Friday. Then
he accompanied me and spent the whole afternoon with me at Sour Ground and
himself was admired not only to see the quality of our soccer but also the
elegant quality of Goan spectators. In fact some of the finest Goan players
that time were actively taking part as players. Men like Alcantro,
Brigidio, Albino, Cosme, Lucas, Tony Correia, Menezes, Gilbert, Charlie and
many more who had fabulous past in soccer in Bombay & Goa were well known
players at Sour Ground then. Mr. Porter was a British and he confessed to
me that even his elders in London used to tell in the Cafes and Pubs that
Goans were very good foot-ballers. This news Porter said was brought to
London by those Britishers who were in Bombay during British time and who
were actively involved with Goans at Bombay in playing big soccer at
Cooperage and other prominent grounds. In fact according to some of our Goan
�Tarvotti� pictorial cuttings of Times of India depicting Goan soccer
giants in Bombay were strategically displayed in some of the Pubs in London.
When we started our soccer at Sour Ground in 1979 there were number of our
young boys unemployed, some were employed but still looking for better
avenues, many had no residence permits and yet some had lot of other
difficulties. When all these boys encountering problems came in contact
with influential people because of their active participation in soccer,
many of the influential Goans redressed the difficulties of our boys. For
example in order to get them employed and to some better their prospects,
Peter Desouza the then General Manager of Bosh Division of Mutawa and an
architecht of G.O.A. Maroons created one special department to help the Goan
boys. In this way innumerable types of assistance was rendered during the
last so many years to innumerable boys of ours because of Sour Ground
activities. This help came into reality only because of the existence of
Sour Ground activities. The ground is very accessible to everyone, people
after finishing the Mass in the Church walks to Sour Ground where they not
only watch the soccer matches but also meet their dearest and nearest for
their personal jobs. Sour Ground is considered a very good meeting place.
The Goans coming from Goa with the letters and parcels deliver them to the
persons concerned at Sour Ground. In the name of soccer Sour Ground helped
Goans in many ways. Moreover, Sour Ground activities have helped so many
unknown Goans to come into limelight. It was Sour Ground that brought Goans
closer to one another, not only Goans to Goans but also to other
communities. It was Sour Ground that brought about integration of Goan
community more forcefully and also of Konkani communities residing in
Kuwait. It was Sour Ground that gave identity to many of our Goans who
inspite of their high positions in their work areas and huge financial
resources they were non entities among Goan community. It was Sour Ground
that converted many of our zero Goans into Hero Goans. It was Sour Ground
that helped many girls to get attracted to the boys of their choice and thus
received matrimonial sacrament.
To be concluded.
A. VERONICA FERNANDES,
Kuwait.
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