Reviving football memories the Goan way

 

 

 


As head of Sports & Recreation Department of the University of Wollongong in Dubai (Australian), Franky Baretto the former East Bengal and Salgaocar Sports Club player has a hectic schedule at his work place.

Every December former India international in football, Franky Baretto, tries to squeeze in two weeks holiday to travel to his home town Goa. But the Goa trip not only serves as a perfect relaxing holiday for Baretto,  but time to connect to old friends from the football world.

This year the former defender who shot into the limelight playing for the Goa University team, had another opportunity to reconnect to old club colleagues in Qatar.

He is one of the many former Internationals who flew into Qatar for the one-day Intra Gulf Goans nine-a-side football tournament organized by Goan Welfare Association, Qatar (GWA). The event which took place on Friday 31st October at Al Alhi Stadium.

Baretto shares many a joyous moments with club colleagues at Vasco SC, Salgaocar SC, Churchill Bros SC and East Bengal SC, during his football career which lasted for thirteen years. He is upbeat to meet his old colleagues to revive old memories, whom he has not met for many years, many of them who are based in different GCC countries. 

“Recently, former India International and now coach at Mahindra United, Mumbai, Derick Periera, one of the I-league club had written to his old colleagues from Salgaocar SC,  the need to meet up in Goa during the December vacation. But the Qatar tournament is like setting  an early tone for the December meet in Goa. Although some of our colleagues based in Cayman Islands and in the US will not be able to make it to the Qatar tournament,” said Baretto.

But, it not just the Goan origin football players who made the trip to Qatar, it is more a football cum family mela. Many football from different GCC countries took the two-day holiday into Qatar.

 

“Around 200 people from UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain came for the tournament.  It turned out not be just a football event but a  family event where the entire family were involved. Some fans and their families, flew in from Goa as the Goa veterans team consisting of a host of international and national players were playing in the tournament,” said GWA President Simon D”Silva.

A popular saying about Goans goes like this - ‘You cannot take Goa out of a Goan’ .

Overseas Goans try to maintain their Goan connection by indulging in activities which formed a part of their life, back home in the sun-kissed silvery beach side state of India. The moment one utters football, it will awake a snoring Goenkar from his afternoon siesta. 

Kuwait-based Norman Noronha along who enjoyed the Qatar trip said: “Tournament like this serve as a golden opportunity to add a new dimension to the Goan connections. It enlarges the friend’s network as new friend’s connections are made and old are revived.”

For Martin Mascarenhas Vice-president for sport at GWA it is a mini World Cup : “I have been receiving a lot of international calls from Goan friends and they have given the title  of ‘Goan mini-world cup’ for the tournament. As a tournament of such magnitude is taking place in the GCC countries involving Goa after a long time.”

But for Jerson Sequeira, Chief Coordinator of the event organizing such tournaments is giving some of the former players  to show their skills to a new generation who had never had an opportunity  to see the Goa Veterans players in their younger days.

“it is one way of saying thank you to the some of the great players from Goa who play with distinct for the clubs, state and the country,” said Sequeira, who was for a brief period associated as football manager of Churchill Bros team, one of the I-League club, before taking up his job as service manager at Qatar Airways.

Ten teams participated in the tournament won by Vaxim Divar from UAE - two each from Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, besides three from UAE and one from India in the form of Goa veterans.

Goa Football Association Secretary, Savio Messias was the chief guest for the tournament while Marcus Pacheco, who is assisting India’s English-coach Bob Houghton as goalkeeper’s coach was  the guest of honour.

Goa Veterans who had five former internationals  Bruno Coutinho (current India beach team coach and former India captain), Savio Madeira (India assistant coach), Chandrakant Naik (former India schools team coach), Lawrence Gomes and Camilo Gonsalves (assistant coach of Dempo Sc, I-League club) could not qualify for the semi-final, losing in the tie breaker battle.

After the finals  the assembled Goans indulged in another  favouritie hobby of belting ut a few music numbers and dance to the tunes of the music. Former Orkay and Sesa Goa player now based in Dubai Benny D’Costa and Goa veterans player who  is now into coaching Mathew D’Costa also sung a number of songs to the applaud of the appreciative crowd.

 

 

 

 

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