Entries from around the world keep coming in for Goa Sudharop's GOAN SENIORS
E-book. Please send
in your entry too. Below is an entry from Lenny Barretto.
Regards,
George
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Goans have always shown a natural flair for the game of hockey and have always
played thrilling
and delightful hockey. In Undivided India - Karachi Goans gave India the
finest, outstanding
hockey players. The Karachi Goan Hockey teams were great crowd favourites at
the famous Aga Khan
Hockey Tournament held in Bombay.
I remember witnessing the wizardy of the Karachi Goan players at the Cabral
Shield Tournament in
Karachi, against the top teams that were invited from all over India - like the
- Bophal
Wanderers, Calcutta Customs, Kalayam Mills, Khalsa College and Jhansi Heroes.
The first Goans
considered for selection in the All India Hockey team were Karachi Goan players
- there was little
to choose between the two left wingers - Peter Paul Fernandez and Julius
Tellis. The explosive
and volatile Peter Paul Fernandez was selected to play for India at the Berlin
Olympics. On his
retirement from International Hockey, Peter Paul trained and worked with the
St. Patrick's School
Hockey team, it was the year St. Patrick beat the Bophal Wanderers in the
semi-finals of the
Cabral Shield Tournament and then went on to win the trophy by beating the
Calcutta Customs in the
finals. Both the Bophal Wanderers and Calcutta Customs had Olympians in their
teams.
It was said that Julius Tellis had tremendous dash and a very exciting
left-wing forward, but he
did not win an Olympic Blazer. Lawrie Fernandez, known as the rembrandt of
hockey never made it to
the Olympics - when he played opposite Dyan Chand in Calcutta, the crowd went
crazy over the
wizardry of Lawrie and some called out to Dyan Chand - that he was playing his
father - Lawrie
played for the All India Telegraphs. Difficult to understand why he was never
selected for the
Olympic side. When he retired from the Telegraphs, he returned to his home in
Karachi. He was an
excellent Tennis player and played tennis at the Karachi Goan Gymkhana. His
tennis tips to us
teenagers were invaluable. Hockey aficionados at the Aga Khan Tournament,
would come to watch the
skill and razzle dazzle of Patrick Mendis (a High School teacher at St.
Patrick's High School in
Karachi) when he went to Bombay with the St. Patrick's Sports Club or Karachi
Goan Hockey teams.
He was also one of the School Hockey coaches.
Jack Britto who was selected for the Pakistan Olympic team at the Helinski
games had excellent
stick work, was a skilfull dribbler and one of the best 'goal shooters' in the
game. He was also
asked to coach a Hockey team in Africa. Milton D'Mello the magnificent
right-half toured with the
Pakistan Olympic team to Spain. It was his outstanding play that helped the
St. Patrick School
team to beat the famous Bophal Wanderers at the Cabral Shield Tournament, a
special trophy was
awarded to him by the Bophal Wanderers team. Gerry Barboza was selected for the
Pakistan Hockey
team to tour East Africa and New Zealand. Gerry was a very intelligent,
persistent and
constructive left half. He was also an excellent cricketer and often helped
the Karachi Goan
Cricket team. The crafty dribbler on the left-wing to play for Pakistan was
Gordon Vaz, he had
great speed and stickwork and always a threat to the opposing team.
The All Indian Olympian (1936) and Bombay Customs Hockey Captain, Feroz Khan
who migrated to
Pakistan and was Chairman of the Pakistan Hockey team and Chairman of the
Pakistan Selection
Committee the time when Pakistan won the Olympic Gold Medal at the Rome
Olympics, once told me
that the 'cream' of Indian hockey were the Goans.
Lenny Barretto
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