Hello Goanetters and all football lovers One has to go to any Church run school or Christian school and one will find the major sports activity is football, I dont know why its only what Christians are interested in takes a back bench seat. Be it language, be it sports or be it Goa, and we have to fight for it to be the front benchers. First it was the question of Goa where Christians wanted separate identity for Goa and not be merged in Maharashtra, than it was language issue, Not marathi but Konkani, but it turned out to be a fiasco still in question, due to the script selected and again in favor of the majority, hence many mails regarding that issue. And now, its football. Few days back a major football game was cancelled to give way for cricket. It was real shocking to read about it that it happened in Goa a land of Football lovers since past.
I congratulate the person who initiated to make football the official sport of Goa. And I hope it gets that status. Somewhere in the past amcho Domnic bab wrote a wonderful humourous article regarding goans mad love for football, which I with apologies to Domnic bab am using it here to show how Goans love football, Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 Subject: [Goanet]KONKANI EXPRESSIONS AT A FOOTBALL MATCH! The Euro 2004 fever is over and so is the postmortem. Overall, the tournament was thrilling and provided very good football. Every team tried its best. Surprisingly, the two teams who played the first match of the tournament reached the finals, and Greece who had won the first match also won the finals. Some of the worlds best players failed to meet with the aspirations of their countries and supporters. Vassell of England and Rui Costa of Portugal missed one penalty each, but it was David Beckam of England who twice failed to convert penalties into goals; every time he missed a penalty, he looked at the ground as if to blame it NACHONK NOKLLO ZALEAR ANGONN VANKDDEM, this is what I said to myself immediately. When England lost, Beckam was disappointedly sad but it was futile crying over spilled milk and this is what I said to myself: ATAM RODDTAI KONNANK, MAIMCHEA MINDDAK, KHA PATOLLEO. Here are some of the expressions by the commentators/public when players missed to convert penalties: Totally out of range Oh! What a waste? What a poor shot, etc Here is what a Goemkar would say at such a situation: ARRE PAEM FORMAN GHAL RE! In the olden days and even until now, whenever a village feast takes place, a friendly football match is arranged between village players and outsiders and it is great fun to watch a football match on a feast day because most guys just finish their festachem jevonn and arrive on the ground with their spirits still soaring high! So, whenever a forward player of the outside team consistently attempts to score, the public instructs him saying: ARRE PANVOM DAMUN GHAL ANI MODD RE TAKA (this is not possible now). If the host teams forward lacks speed, the public questions him thus: ARRE DUKRACHEM MAS SUBEIJ KHALLAM KITEM RE? DHAUM RE F .CHEA! If a player shoots wide, they shout at him and say: ARRE DOLLE FUTTLEAT RE? BAECHEA GHOVAGUER MARTAI? If players commit the same mistake time and again, they shout and say: ARRE DOLLEANCHER KORPAM EILEANT KITEM RE? Or ARRE DOLLEANK X .AM FUTTLEANT RE? There are many more expressions but I cannot write them here because if I do, this message may never reach you. I have attended a couple of Rovers Cup matches at Cooperage ground in Bombay in the late sixties. Whenever Goas team played, Goans in Bombay made it a point to attend the match and support our players. I believe the same spirit continues till today. In Bombay also Goans use the same expressions as above, and much more! Moi-mogan,Domnic Fernandes Cheers Jerry Fernandes With reference to the news:- Govt's partnership with soccer vital for Goa MAPUSA: It is heart-warming to see that the campaign to declare football as an official sport in Goa is gaining ground. No other state, nor even Bengal, which had dominated the scene for decades, has so far done it. And if the state government bestows recognition, due and deserving to the game of football, it would surely bring about a sea change in the sport in terms of support and infrastructure.(Edit-GT) Should football be made a state game? PANAJI: Goa Football Association's resolution for football to be made a state sport is fast gaining momentum thanks to the debate scheduled on the subject on 7 August at the Don Bosco auditorium here at 9.30 am. (GT)
