Goa to have a ball with Portugese soccer trainers
Panaji (Goa), Feb 24 (IANS) Five centuries after Portugal found the sea route to India, the sub-continent is hoping to harness the southwest European republic's skills to scale greater footballing heights. A seven-member Portuguese team landed here Wednesday to train Indian football coaches of under-12 players. Officials said Prof. Julio Garganta and Prof. Jorge Pinto from the University of Porto's faculty of sports sciences and physical education would be conducting a six-day residential football course here. Thirty Indian coaches, including 20 from Goa, would benefit from the training made possible by an Indo-Portuguese agreement signed Sept 2004, said officials. Over the six days, the coaches would learn educational and scientific strategies in training young players. Officials said the focus would be on offensive and defensive principles in football, planning training sessions, basic movements and positions on the field, game analysis and more. Portugal was one of the 32 countries that qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Korea and Japan. And with football a craze in Goa, the expectations are high. "Football is key to the Goan character," said Shivanand Salgaocar, president of the Goa Football Association and treasurer of the All India Football Federation, at a function to launch the programme. "It's the most significant tie-up. This huge delegation to our small state shows that despite all these years of separation, Portugal's heart is in Goa," said Dr Susana DeSouza, Goa sports director. Goa was a colony of Portugal from 1510 to 1961. Pedro Cabral Adaosaid, Portugal's consul general in Goa, said that sports plays the role diplomats need to play - of building bridges between cultures and people - but in a much more pleasant manner. Adaosaid recalled Goa's support for Portugal in the 2002 World Cup. "One day, I wish India can reach a World Cup final, with a lot of Goan players in the team. We will all be so proud," Adaosaid said. With a population of just 1.4 million in a country of more than a billion people, Goa has six groups competing in the National Football League played between 12 teams. Among the others in the visiting Portugal delegation are Portuguese Olympic committee president Commandante Vincente Moura and the director of the Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola. Indo-Asian News Service ===== Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. Konkani Drama "NOORA" by Micheal D'Silva under the auspices of United Friends Club-Kuwait on 8th April 2005 with Olga Vaz, Menino Mario, Macxy, Comedians John D�Silva and Ben Evangelisto, Querobina, Jose Rod, Sylvester Vaz, Laurente Pereira, Donald Colaco, Cajetan-Marcus-Mario, Adrian, Bab Agnel, Bab Jonathan & Michael D�Silva. For details, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Pick of the week: http://www.colaco.net/1/EthelSting.htm http://www.geocities.com/mangaloreancatholic/woc/ Goa's finest websites: www.colaco.net www.supergoa.com www.goa-world.com Celebrate in Style.... Greet Someone You Love Back Home in Goa with Fresh Flowers Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.goa-world.com/expressions/ Konkani weekly V-Ixtt now online at www.v-ixtt.com Konkani monthly magazine now online at www.gulabonline.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give the gift of life to a sick child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.' http://us.click.yahoo.com/lGEjbB/6WnJAA/E2hLAA/0FHolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> http://www.goa-world.com http://www.live365.com/stations/61664 Live Konkani Music http://www.mahableshwar.com/ Addresses: Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL to this page: http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/gulf-goans Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gulf-goans/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
