Hi Gilbert, Thanks for your message - but I was really disappointed about where you truncated my email and made me appear like the poster-boy of the proud Cooks n Butlers tradition of our beloved Goa !
Despite my IIT background, which may disqualify me from being emulated by a majority of our Christao Goan youth these days because of the former CM who has been castigated, and because I do not really have the anti-Nehru "Aao Portuguese" pride in me, you may note that I played a lot of national level hockey in India, tried out for Team USA, thus keeping up our traditional Goan position as a "hockey goalie". Like my fellow Velkar international hockey players John Correia (who went on to complete his MA and rise to become an executive at Central Bank) and Dr. Vece Paes the medical doctor who won the Bronze medal at the Munich olympics and the silver in the 1971 World Cup, I too was coached by the great 3-time Olympic gold medallist, the great Balbir Singh Sr. of Punjab Police - he instilled in us the drive for excellence in hockey and academics - and we lived up to it. There are many other Goan hockey players who have been inspired and trained by Balbir and others - but most of our "Bonka Bhot" Goans would have the irreverant "Tho Kon Re Sikro" attitude towards Balbir Sr. these days. These attitudes and excuses about favoritism, unfounded fears of the saffronization of Goa, divisive Devnagiri vs Roman script debates, etc will only divert and hamper the excellence of Goan youth despite our minority status...Its about time that Goan youth realize that they are Indians and not Portuguese-Indians, and be proud of it !!! I am inviting Balbir to Goa in December to inspire our Goan Youth ! Hows taht for role models ? Best Regards, Dr. Carmo D'Cruz, Indian Harbour Beach, FL >From: Gilbert Lawrence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Hi Carmo and Jose, >I fully agree with the following sentiments. >But the Goan youth need some mentors and role-models. >Thus, they will get the message that in spite of being a minority, Goans >can excel. >No more 'EXCUSES' that we cannot achieve becasue of favoritism. >Our motto should be, "Goans can excel in spite of favoritism and our >minority status" just as we have DONE in the past. >If a mentor / role model is placed in front of a Goan audience, that very >likely will be his/her message with many other useful pointers. > >Kind Regards, GL >
