ADEUS SOUR GROUND GOAN SOCCER - I. Football is a part of Goan life. Keeping this view in mind, United Goans Centre in 1979 established the first ever competitive soccer not only for Goans but also for all Indian players. Earlier Goans never thought of this idea but they were great foot-ballers and soccer lovers. Some of the finest foot-ballers who represented Goa during Portuguese era inspite of stiff competition from the finest Portuguese “Pakle” and Negro players had played at Ahmadi when they came to work at Kuwait Oil Sector. When UGC established our competitive soccer at Sour Ground, it was on League-Cum-Knock Out basis and it lasted for months. That time there were two grounds, one rather smaller which is not existing now. The matches then were played in the afternoons. Qualitatively and quantitatively the spectators were good, the athmosphere during our matches was very friendly, spectators used to attend the matches with festive and elegant dresses, ladies were plenty so too senior Goan citizens. During those days attending our soccer matches at Sour Ground was a matter of pride. During those days when I was supplying the news of our soccer to both the local newspapers, even the sports editors used to admire the love of Soccer among Kuwait Goans. One day Mr. Porter the Sports Editor of Arab Times surprisingly asked me what I write is really true of Goans at Sour Ground? I told him come and see on one Friday. Then he accompanied me and spent the whole afternoon with me at Sour Ground and himself was admired not only to see the quality of our soccer but also the elegant quality of Goan spectators. In fact some of the finest Goan players that time were actively taking part as players. Men like Alcantro, Brigidio, Albino, Cosme, Lucas, Tony Correia, Menezes, Gilbert, Charlie and many more who had fabulous past in soccer in Bombay & Goa were well known players at Sour Ground then. Mr. Porter was a British and he confessed to me that even his elders in London used to tell in the Cafes and Pubs that Goans were very good foot-ballers. This news Porter said was brought to London by those Britishers who were in Bombay during British time and who were actively involved with Goans at Bombay in playing big soccer at Cooperage and other prominent grounds. In fact according to some of our Goan “Tarvotti” pictorial cuttings of Times of India depicting Goan soccer giants in Bombay were strategically displayed in some of the Pubs in London. When we started our soccer at Sour Ground in 1979 there were number of our young boys unemployed, some were employed but still looking for better avenues, many had no residence permits and yet some had lot of other difficulties. When all these boys encountering problems came in contact with influential people because of their active participation in soccer, many of the influential Goans redressed the difficulties of our boys. For example in order to get them employed and to some better their prospects, Peter Desouza the then General Manager of Bosh Division of Mutawa and an architecht of G.O.A. Maroons created one special department to help the Goan boys. In this way innumerable types of assistance was rendered during the last so many years to innumerable boys of ours because of Sour Ground activities. This help came into reality only because of the existence of Sour Ground activities. The ground is very accessible to everyone, people after finishing the Mass in the Church walks to Sour Ground where they not only watch the soccer matches but also meet their dearest and nearest for their personal jobs. Sour Ground is considered a very good meeting place. The Goans coming from Goa with the letters and parcels deliver them to the persons concerned at Sour Ground. In the name of soccer Sour Ground helped Goans in many ways. Moreover, Sour Ground activities have helped so many unknown Goans to come into limelight. It was Sour Ground that brought Goans closer to one another, not only Goans to Goans but also to other communities. It was Sour Ground that brought about integration of Goan community more forcefully and also of Konkani communities residing in Kuwait. It was Sour Ground that gave identity to many of our Goans who inspite of their high positions in their work areas and huge financial resources they were non entities among Goan community. It was Sour Ground that converted many of our zero Goans into Hero Goans. It was Sour Ground that helped many girls to get attracted to the boys of their choice and thus received matrimonial sacrament. To be concluded. A. VERONICA FERNANDES, Kuwait. _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!