goanet-digest Monday, May 13 2002 Volume 01 : Number 3961
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In this issue:
[Goanet] Adeus Goan Soccer - I.
[Goanet] Adeus Goan Soccer - II
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Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 15:56:37 +0000
From: "A. Veronica Fernandes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] Adeus Goan Soccer - I.
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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Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 16:34:24 +0000
From: "A. Veronica Fernandes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] Adeus Goan Soccer - II
ADEUS SOUR GROUND GOAN SOCCER - II
All the earlier mentioned and some unknown facilities now will come to an
end as our activities at Sour Ground are halted by the very few selected
Goan rowdies who created disorder at Sour Ground thereby forcing the
organizers to suspend indefinitely all the activities at Sour Ground. Due to
prevailing circumstances I have my doubt whether these activities will
restart. Since the continued invasion of Sour Ground the soccer matches at
Sour Ground are halted and time is come to say �Adeus� to Sour Ground Goan
Soccer activities. Many people who were on Fridays passing and spending
their time in watching these matches are cursing those who are responsible
for this stoppage, they are laymen they don�t want to know who is right and
who is wrong, they only want to see soccer going on there. The organizers
are finding it difficult to restart their matches due to the continued
threat of invasion of ground by the rowdies who on top of it justify their
stand of what they are doing is correct. The opponents of Goans are taking
lot of pleasure in observing the true colours of Goan rowdies who are all
out to debase the good image of Goans. The enemies of Goans are all out to
expose the rowdism of Goans at Sour Ground. In this episode Goans only are
sufferers and losers in many aspects. Goan rowdies have created history by
showing their rowdism, history has been recorded, singers will compose and
sing songs and folk tellers will create folk tales for posterity to know
what has been created by Kuwait Goan rowdies at Sour Ground. Everybody
knows who invaded Sour Ground with females and everyone knows who invaded
Sour Ground by taking chairs and sitting in the middle of the ground thereby
preventing the organizers to carry on with soccer activities smoothly.
Photographs are already clicked to display the invasions by rowdy Goans. The
then Embassy official Mr. Usmani was fed up of these people, those who
disagree with this fact are living in imaginary world and I cannot make them
understand in the absence of their true identity. I cannot discuss matters
with those who are hiding their true identity in fictitious names. The good
image of Goans in Kuwait especially at Sour Ground is shattered by rowdies.
And while this is happening the so called leaders of Goan community are
keeping silence, some of them - few selected � are accusing me for exposing
this rowdism instead of them condemning it and helping uprooting it from our
midst. Birds of same feather flock together. There is a saying in Konkani
�Kanvlean Morachim Pakam Lailear Mor Zaina � Kanvllo to Kanvlloch and Mor to
Moruch�. Haddeche Bhattkar kuxin ani Nizache Bhattkar Kuxin. Haddeche
Leader Kuxin ani Nizache Leader Kuxin�. If there is any Goan amongst us who
really care for the unity of Goans, who really care for the well-being of
Goans and who care for the good image of Goans in Kuwait then he will come
out openly and not only condemn the rowdism at Sour Ground perpetrated by
Goans only but also make the rowdies to put an end to this type of ground
invasion. It will not help any one. Thru this soccer activities we can
create so much of good amongst us. At Sour Ground in the past in the name
of soccer we organized meetings for Konkani movement and collected money
for the same cause. We organized open meeting there with Fr Freddy Decosta
when he came to Kuwait to collect funds for his Gulab Magazine. We
organized soccer matches in honour of Churchill Alemao and Herculano Dourado
when they visited Kuwait. Likewise so many other functions we organized and
got the community affairs moving very elegantly. Why cant we keep the same
momentum now instead of fighting and putting an end to our soccer? Are we
so adamant to bend a little? Are we so rascals to be so revengeful?
Incidentally all the rowdies who involved in invading Ground are practicing
Christians. It is these rowdies who crucified Christ more and more by doing
anti-Christain acts. It is time for them to put an end to such
anti-Christian acts before they get severe punishment from God for
disobeying the God�s laws. We are here in foreign land and we can lose our
jobs at any moment or we can die at any moment. Let us ask forvigeness from
God and close the sad chapter of our mischief. By the way what is the reward
of winning matches at Sour Ground? Is it of that high standard soccer? In
fact our soccer at Sour Ground is recognized by no official authority. Will
all the rowdies and their God fathers hiding under the petticoats of their
female partners be happy now that Soccer at Sour Ground is halted? What is
the opinion of public and soccer lovers in general? Will all of them
castigate me for writing these lines or will they curse and condemn those
who are responsible for the disaster that they have created at Sour Ground?
According to few selected rowdies they feel shy when I expose these type of
misdeeds but they don�t feel shy to commit such hara-kiri on the bright
image of Goans and that too in the name of Goans only! It is a time now
for Goans to speak loudly and fearlessly on the rowdism that is going in the
name of Goans. And as a matter of fact at Sour Ground Goans only and Goan
alone are involved in creating rowdism. They have no marbles to show their
power to Malyalis who inspite of having only one team representing in our
tournament treating Goans with contempt even assaulting and yet no Goan
rowdy can challenge them. The Goans rowdies are cowards, if they are
capable of really showing their �dadagiri� then let them show it to Malyalis
who are even assaulting our boys during and after the game due to disputes
while playing. One thing we have to bear in mind, those rowdies who are
creating disorder at Sour Ground are committing breach of law for this they
can be castigated. Kuwait is a peaceful country where we have no right to
disturb the peace. The few selected Goan rowdies are disturbing peace of
this country.
Recently after my last postings in 2 parts on Sour Ground Invasion, two
respectable persons from Colva came to my place with prior permission to
discuss this matter in a very friendly atmosphere. I started the discussion
asking them which part of my article, which paragraph and which sentence you
like to discuss and about which you have reservation. For this they said
�we only read partially the said article�. Then I asked what is this?
Without doing your home work properly you want to discuss? They were a bit
embarrassed. Then they politely said that we have nothing against that
article and you have not written anything against us. Then they justified
the reasons for taking law into the hands of ground invaders while
simultaneously admitting it was wrong to invade the ground but there was no
other choice to get redressal. For this I asked � Isn�t there any civilized
way to get redressal of the genuine grievances?� �What else they asked?�
�I said Official written protest?� �They said it was costly and it was not
sure whether required result would come�. Then I said since you say you are
having a meeting with me in your individual capacity then if necessary I am
ready to publish any official version if it is forthcoming. For this they
remained silent and went home.
At the time of writing these lines Sour Ground Soccer by Goans is still kept
suspended and nobody knows what will happen the next � whether it will
restart or permanently remain suspended at Sour Ground and instead move
permanently to some other location. Meantime, will I be right in saying
�Adeus� to Goan soccer at Sour Ground after 24 years? Or will I have to
withdraw my �Adeus� later on if better sense prevails on all those involved
in invading the ground? Time alone will tell. Till then I say �Adeus� to
Sour Ground.
concluded.
A. VERONICA FERNANDES.
Kuwait.
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End of goanet-digest V1 #3961
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