The echoes of ooohs and aaahs, the drums beating, the applauses are still ringing in my head. This was my first tournament in Dubai, although I’ve been here for seven years and I have no excuse for not being there earlier. It is an achievement of something to be proud of as Goans that the ‘football spirit’ which was started some 25 years back here is still running and getting stronger each year. But what confirms more of my belief that ‘Football is in the blood of Goans’ is the presence of toddlers, kids, ladies and gents present at the stadium.
It was a sight to see the Iranian Club grounds almost full despite the wintry weather. The souvenir provided by the organizers on the Silver anniversary helped me in catching up a bit with the past, especially the photographs of the oldies in their Beatles style was nostalgic.
Another Goan football tournament came to an end in Dubai today.
I am not sure what to comment on the success of this tournament, because it will depend on what criteria, success needs to be measured against. Is the amount of profit the organizers (Goan Cultural Society) have made, or is it based on the opportunity (platform) provided by the organizers for the display of the talents of GOANS. If it is the latter, then I will think thrice before I vote after what I wrote in my first attempt.
It was a great pleasure to see young and old players display their skills and to confirm that football is associated with us Goans right from the day we are formed as a ‘cell’. Nice to see teams from all over Goa (at least the names they choose indicated so) participate. As they say each person is different so was the case with the teams that participated, they had their own approach towards the tourney. Some teams played in for the love of football (no matter even if they were drubbed throughout). Some teams played as winning the No.1 spot a must (who were probably disheartened after the surprising quarterfinal results). And kudos to those teams who played with a perfect understanding within themselves what result to put on board instead of showing their football and sportsmanship skills (wish we Goans could show that same understanding when it comes to uniting and standing for what we are, instead of in-fighting).
A few managers did rise up from their sleep this tourney when it came to the point of justification done by the organizers for the usage of the word ‘Goan Tourney’ and the non-Goans who have crept into the tourney. I am not sure what made them fall back to their sleep (probably the love for football held them back from quitting from the tourney for which the organizers should be grateful to these managers for making their 25th attempt a success in some way). And I would not expect anything from those few hundred people watching the matches showing their disgust for the same by chatting on the stands (One of the most important character we are strong in).
So what’s next?
What happens to the issue that was raised by a few true Goans (and some special ones who stood for it). Put it in the trash bin and just forget about it?
I know for sure many more tournaments (organized by the GCS or others) under the name of Goa will come and go, but nothing will be done about this long pending issue. I don’t expect the soccer loving managers also to take any further step, So the only people who can set this right are the Organizers themselves. It is their hand to give 100% justice to the tournaments organized by them as ‘Goan Tournaments’. It is up to them to have a blood transfusion again and give life to the Goan tournaments.
What do you as a Goan think about it? You want to just sit there back and talk about it, rather than act upon it. A time will come when we will be thrown out of our own land (and I don’t see happening too far from now, when I read about Goan-Malyalee organizations, Goan-Mangalorian organizations etc taking the front pages in the Goan newspapers. When I hear about all the land is bought by people from all over India. When I go to any government offices and see the name plates as Rao etc instead of Fernandes or Dessai etc) And why shouldn’t this take place, when we are too busy fighting among ourselves deciding which is our official language, brothers deciding which plot should they claim from their ancestral land, politicians busy planning what’s the next step they should take to fill they personal coffers, all governments employees busy planning what excuse to give next time you visit them to clear you pending file at their desktop till their pockets are made heavy, all custom officers busy looting the government and us to fill their pockets and homes.
UTT GOENKARA, NAM ZALEAR CHODD UXIR ZAIT……………………… VIVA GOA
Nicky Nicks [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue, 11 Nov 2003 04:49:38 +0000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It gives one immense pleasure and satisfaction to see that Goa is still there up in the front when it comes to soccer. And why it shouldn’t be ………………. Cause whenever someone asks me why you like to play soccer. Without a second thought my reply goes ‘Its in my blood’
The 25th Goan Inter village Ramadan football Tourney in Dubai is coming to the ending stages which is organised by the Goan Cultural Society. And observing from the matches so far one can conclude that there are no ‘Goans’ left in UAE who have football running through their blood. I happened to be present for a few matches in this tournament and some more tournaments prior to this one. All these tournaments have the first rule listed in the ‘Rules and Regulations’, as ALL PLAYERS MUST BE OF GOAN ORIGIN. And inspite of doing so it is pity to see teams fielding players who have no link to Goa and even India. I can’t understand the importance of the Organisers stating the first & foremost rule of a player being Goan. It shows the sad state of affairs where the organisers cannot track out the difference between a Goan and a Non-Goan OR their intent is not to do so for reasons best know to them. Talking about certificates, It is a well know fact that in this advanced and corrupt world even a person from Timbuktu can produce a certificate that he/she is from Goa (or whatever place he wants to as per situation). If one wants to really implement the rules then there are many measures to counter this but the organisers prefer to choose the best method……… NONE. There were rumours of most of the teams walking away but the didn’t do so, and this shows the sporting spirit of the teams with all Goans and the fact that their blood still have football running in them. It is a few teams and the Organisers who have taken a blood transfusion.
So yet another tournament will end ‘With the name Goan Inter village’ on it, but with Non-Goans in it. If it is so difficult to implement the first and foremost rule then It would be better the Organisers do not specify the first and foremost rule and they do not name their tournaments as Goan Tournament at all.
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