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DEATH OF GOAN SOCCER COACH ANGELA.
It hurts me very much to know that one of the excellent ex Goan soccer
players and excellent coaches amongst the current ones, Ms Angela Gomes has
recently committed suicide out of frustration in Goa. What led her to
commit suicide in such a manner to end her life? It is really the
insensitivities on the part of the sports authorities in Goa headed by
insensitive persons who got no love for sports or for human beings. Earlier
in another incident we saw how a young girl, athletics sensation of Goa,
Miss Pratima Gaumkar also had to end her life by committing suicide only.
What ails our Goan Sports in Goa? Up to now no real truth has been
discovered why Pratima Gaunkar committed suicide. Her coach according to
available information tried to blackmail her into submitting to his wishes
but the young Goan girl was different in nature. Her coach a non-Goan tried
to use Pratima to get maximum benefits of her financial deals and when he
found it difficult he made the young Goan athlete to commit suicide. It was
surprising that none in Goa and in her village Sanguem bothered to go deep
into this matter to reprimand her Coach and those behind her misfortune. If
the same incident had to take place in the State of her Coach I am sure none
in that State would keep silence till the Coach was fully punished either
thru law or thru the hands of the public. The non-Goans are rampantly in
misuse of our manpower and we Goans are nonsensically keeping silence over
their misbehaviour.
I remember one incident at Santa Cruz Ground when first All Goa Athletics
Meet was organized in 1964 after the annexure of Goa by Bharat. Even Cops
of Signal from Bambolim participated with their top athletes of All India
stature and the competition was very stiff. The then big man of Goa Sports
Authority was one Mr. Mali a non Goan who had strong dislike for Goans and
also had a very low opinion of Goan athletes, he was also sexually perverted
man according to some of my female colleagues. Our the then Principal of the
school St. Josephs High School, Arpora Fr. Mendonca was a genius in
organizing these type of Meets, his voice had strong influence and was very
respectable Goan at that time and an authority in Sports administration in
Goa. I had unique distinction of associating with him in school and at all
Goa Athletics Meets and also other sports activities. When he sensed some
craziness on the part of Mali and other non-Goan supervisors he warned our
girls to keep a distance from non-Goan crazy idiots. The non-Goans who come
to Goa are having a very law opinion of our girls and they try to misuse
them in one way or the other. Pratima Gaumkar was also suffered the same
stroke from non-Goan coach and because of this non-Goan coach, Goa lost a
star athlete.
Now coming back to Angela Gomes, I cannot understand how Goa will produce
best of sporting talents when Goa does not know how to take care of its
sportspersons. We adore our sportspersons when they are shining and once
they are fizzled out we just ignore them. It is said that till today
Calcutta produces best of soccer talents in India and till today they are
dominating Indian soccer arena. Why is this? Because they take more care
of their soccer stars in all respects. Because they give more respect and
more adoration for their ex stars. Rahman was my coach at Sesa Goa in early
seventies. His native place was Bangalore but he was engaged by Calcuttas
Mohun Bhagan and he played on top form for Mohun Bhagan for many years. He
was an international and Olympian. He played as a forward along with our
Goan Neville Desouza in 1956 Melbourne Olympics when Neville scored that
memorable hat-trick which till today remained unsurpassed. Rahman played for
Mohun Bhagan for three times in the victorious team in the finals of Rovers
Cup in Bombay. 15 Years after his retirement from Calcutta and Mohun Bhagan
he one fine morning returned to Calcutta from Bangalore. When he got down
from the Railway at Calcutta he was spotted by the Cauvala who was selling
tea in the stalls at Railway platform and then he shouted at the top of his
voice the name of his ex football hero, rushed to him and kissed his feet.
Immediately then everybody on the platform recognized Rahman and mobbed and
hugged him. Rahman was overwhelmed by this kind gesture and said this
recognition worth more than millions. While talking to me once he said if
I take another birth I will opt for soccer only and that too in Calcutta
only because they kept me financially happy, took care of my necessities and
supported me during my career.
What do we do in Goa for our ex sportspersons? Our sporting talent is in
the hands of their superiors and Montris. She our Goa Sports Minister
Madkaikar how rudely he punished gem of our sports administrator Dr. Susane
Desousa from Calangute in sadistic manner to fulfill his personal vendetta
against Dr. Susane. And still nobody asked Madkaikar the way he should be
asked. Tiatrist William de Curtorim who eulogized Madkaikar once in his
song as a good man must now compose another song and condemn Madkaikar for
condemning our sports talents. And people from Divar and from other
surrounding areas from Madkaikars constituency must punish Madkaikar in the
forthcoming election for unnecessarily punishing Dr. Susane. Today Dr.
Susane and tomorrow it may be anyone else. Was Dr. Susane a victim of
communal vendetta practiced by Madkaikar? Similarly was Angela Gomes also a
victim of communal vendetta by her boss at Sports Authority? If yes or no,
sports lovers in Goa must raise their voice in unison against the injustice
meted out to prominent sportspersons, ex sportspersons and sports
administrators in Goa. The Goa Government authorities will do nothing to
find out the truth and correct the situation. In view of this the NGOs and
other social conscious persons in Goa should dwell into these matters very
seriously otherwise Goa will never produce great stars of great caliber.
Star athletes and star sportsperson are not only born but they are also
produced and developed. To produce and develop them there should be
conducive all round athmosphere. Angela Gomes was denied her right of
permanency in her job thereby denying her peace of mind and keeping her
under constant tension. Her paltry salary of Rs. 2800/- is peanut in the
current situation and again more tension for her to make her ends meet with
this law salary. Europe and America produce best of sports talents because
they fulfill all the required needs of the talented persons. What are we
doing in Goa? On the contrary we are devouring what is meant for our
sportspersons like the non-Goan coach of Pratima Gaumkar. If we do not
change our ways then we in Goa will never produce best of sports talents in
any discipline.
May God forgive Angela Gomes for committing suicide and also Pratima Gaumkar
and may God give eternal peace to their sporting souls. And let those who
were responsible for their suicides confine into eternal flames.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
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