Alberto Colaco, Hon. Sec. of All India Foot-ball Federation who arrived in Kuwait yesterday and is lodging at Kuwait Sheraton, was given a warm and affectionate reception yesterday at 8.00 p.m. at Hotel Crown Plaza � formerly Holiday Inn. The reception was attended by the entire Indian football fraternity under the umbrella of Kuwait Indian Foot-ball Federation. The reception cum dinner was hosted by KIFF. Mr. Vinay Kumar the Hon. Sec. of KIFF welcomed the visiting dignitary and all other invitees and requested every club to introduce itself to the Chief Guest Mr. Colaco. On behalf of Goan community Wilson Coelho presented a memento to Mr. Colaco while Mr. Colaco presented every attendee a small medal with AIFF emblem as a souvenir. This is the first time in my life in Kuwait I noticed such a kind gesture on the part of visiting dignitary reciprocating his love towards the hosts. Mr. Vohra the KIFF president on behalf of KIFF thanked Mr. Colaco for accepting the invitation and coming to Kuwait. Mr. Tony Correia the vice president of KIFF proposed the Vote of Thanks. While thanking the hosts in organizing this reception cum dinner Mr. Colaco praised KIFF for its endeavours in promoting soccer activities in Kuwait amongst the Indians and lauded the efforts of KIFF in engulfing in its fold not only Goans but the entire Indian community members thereby showing the broader outlook of Goans. As a matter of fact great Goans are always greathearted people, they are not sectarians. To think of their brothers and sisters beyond their boundary is the hallmark of genuine Goans. This is the tradition of great Goans. The great Goan and parliamentarian Dr. Francis Luis Gomes from Navelim who represented Goa in Portuguese Parliament while raising his voice for freedom for Goa he said � I asked freedom not only for my Goa but also for entire India which are under the domination of foreign powers�. In this way Dr. Francis Luis Gomes brought all the Indians closer to Goans. And this he did much before Nehrus, Gandhis and others thought of freedom for India. Those great names of Indians that time were in infancy when Dr. Gomes spoke for India as a whole.
The above reception was attended by all the invitees except Indian Embassy as none of its officials showed up for the reception. During my discussion with some of the gathered people I was told that Embassy officials will not come for such high caliber functions but they will come for cheap and vulgar dances organized by cheap and vulgar associations and for the inaugurations of restaurant.
As a matter of interest and information for many who may not be aware of the history of our soccer at Sour Grounds let me state thus: In 1979 United Goans Foot-ball Centre initiated the competitive soccer activities not only for Goans but for entire Indian community though overwhelming majority were Goans followed by Mangaloreans and others. During the inception year the teams participated were UG, Friends Club Salmiya, Salmiya Youth, Starlites Goans, Goan Sporting, Flying Arrows and Blue Razaors. Because of this superlative initiative of UG, everyone involved in our soccer should be always grateful to UG, not only grateful but UG should be kept alive with all the support it required for its existence and functioning. During the inception year it was only one League � Cum � Knock Out tournament, which lasted for about 4 months and during the inception year and even later on the scene at Sour Ground resembled festival scenes while the matches were played in the afternoon. During the early years it was pleasure to come to Sour Grounds to watch and in fact people used to attend this festival type of activities with their families and children. Such was the quality and dignity of those days of people attending and also playing. But unfortunately gradually the control of Sour Grounds went into the hands of �ROSTAD� type of people of Goan origin. Because of fist fighting and other squabbling decent people diminished coming to watch our soccer as during the football matches ugly scenes started taking place. Soon and till now some people involved Indian soccer activities are not interested in the promotion of soccer but only in its destruction which sane people should not allow. Thru this football lot of good came for the community members. Lot of benefits is derived by many people and moreover unknown entities became well-known entities. Though this soccer of ours is only for killing our time as past time yet it creates wonders. Though our soccer in Kuwait is not recognized by any authority � not even KIFF is not recognized by any official authority � yet our soccer creates lot of ripples, thanks to both the local English dailies. Once again I request everyone involved in this soccer to act as human beings and not as inhuman and promote and protect this soccer for posterity. By protecting this soccer we will enhance the prestige of Goan community.
The idea of the formation of KIFF initiated by J.P. D�Mello and carried forward by Lawry Pinto. In my writings I always promoted the formation of KIFF. The first meeting of KIFF formation was held in the small Church Hall, Lawrence Rato of Salmiya took lot of interest in the initial stages. Including me we were involved in devising ways and means for preparing the constitution. Later on what happened was the history. If it were not for the solid push by Lawry Pinto KIFF till today would not have come into existence because currently we have less people with great heart and great mind at Sour Ground. Currently we have more destructive people involved in our soccer. They are actually so small yet they feel they are big because they are all ignorant of the real Kuwait. I pity them. They still think they can do the same type of dadagiri in Kuwait as they were doing in Goa. They must know that Kuwait is not Goa nor Dhobitalao nor Chikmaglur nor Ernakulam. Kuwait is Kuwait and those who are new comers to Kuwait after the liberation of Kuwait should be better careful.
Again J.P. D�Demello was instrumental in the formation of Kuwait Indian Foot-ball Referees Association. But gradually after JP�s leaving from Kuwait IFRA went into the hands of wrong people and now it is in disarray. Regrettably it was D�Souza the president of IFRA who is responsible for maiming IFRA and I�m sure gradually it will die a slow and miserable death because of the brute-ness of D�Souza and some of his colleagues.
A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait.
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