> Great Goan Olympian
> NEVILLE D'SOUZA
> By Isidore Dantas
>
> Today, 16th March 2006, is the 26th Death
> Anniversary of Neville D'Souza, who created history
> at the 1956 Olympics at Melbourne, Australia, by
> scoring a hat-trick to help India beat Australia 4-2
> in football. India then moved into the semi-finals,
> but lost to Yugoslavia, finishing fifth at the
> Olympics. India thereafter represented in football
> at the international level only in 1960 and 1964.
>
> Neville, born on 3rd August 1932 to Jose and Alina
> D'Souza of Assagao (Bountavaddo), Goa, was grew up
> in Bombay, in the family of great hockey players. He
> played football for Caltex and hockey for Tatas.
> Football, of course, was his forte.
>
> Neville is known for his magic goals at the
> Olympics. He would tap the ball cleverly past the
> goalie rather than blast from close quarters. He
> changed his style smartly to suit dry or wet ground
> conditions, but his impressive distribution was
> always marked by keeping the ball close to the
> ground, the essence of masterly football. His
> penalty spot kicks was a gentle placement along the
> grass leaving the goalie flat and helpless. And
> these superb skills he imparted to hundreds of
> school footballers, but he despaired today's want of
> brains in Indian soccer.
>
> Kaun Banega Crorepati TV serial posed a question:
> Who is the only footballer to score a hat-trick in
> Olympics? The participant could not answer the
> question which muffed the chance to be a crorepati.
>
> It is a crying shame that Government has not honored
> him with an Arjuna award. In 1990, however, the
> Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government
> of Goa honoured him with a Special Certificate for
> making Goa proud, at the hands of then Chief
> Minister Luis Proto Barbosa. November this year will
> mark the golden jubilee of this great event of
> Neville. Will Indian sport remember him for the
> remarkable Olympic event, yet to be surpassed by our
> footballers?
>
> Neville's wife Lyra D'Souza lives at Byculla,
> Mumbai, while Neville's brother-Derrick is a known
> footballer presently with Cooperage, Mumbai.
>
============
Forwarded by BC
>
>
>
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