Hi VM DeMalar, Thanks for your post. It really warmed the cockles of my Goan Heart when you defined with vivid examples that Goans are the World's First Classifiable World Citizens. However, conspicuously absent were the achievements of Goans in World Field Hockey, way long before English cricketeers Monty Panesar and Sajid Mahmood.
Rui Saldanha is an excellent example - He is a Goan from Saligao who grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, did his college in Bangalore, India; represented England in the 1972 Olympics and is now settled in Southern California in the US. We have had Leo Pinto - the genesis of the great Goan Hockey Goalkeeper tradition in India whose family hails from Camarcazana near Mapusa; he was born in Kenya but played for India in the 1948 Olympics and we have had another goalkeeper Ivo Colaco who was born in Velim Goa, played his hockey in Kenya, before retiring in Goa. Dr. Vece Paes another Velkar (from Velim, Goa - more famous these days as the father of tennis star Leander Paes) was from Arusha, Tanzania but did his initial college in Bangalore, India, represented Karnataka and Combined Universities in the Nationals, studied medicine in Calcutta, also represented West Bengal in the Nationals and won the bronze medal representing India in the 1972 Munich Oympics, where he had a reunion meeting with his Bangalore college teamate Rui Saldanha representing England. We have had a number of Goan and Sikh hockey players from East Africa who have represented the UK, Canada, US, India and the East African countries in international hockey competitions. Today, some of those fearless guys who upheld the Great Goan Hockey Goalkeeper tradition started by good ole Leo Pinto in 1948 and represented India, are dispersed globally - Cedric Pereira of Anjuna lives in Perth Western Australia, his successor Olympio Fernandes of Siolim is settled in Toronto, Canada and Olympio's successor Cedric DeSouza of Uccassaim is coaching the Greek National team after coaching India in the 90s. Cedric D'Souza's successor Jude Menezes of Bombay is setled in New Zealand. Olympio's contemporary John Correa of Velim is in Bombay and Cedric Pereira's contemporary Jerome Caeiro also of Velim (India, late 60s) is settled in Goa. Once Again VM that was an excellent post by you - covering India's global community of scientists, sportsmen, industrialists, and politicians and their contributions and achievements with a particular focus on Goans in the global diaspora ! It needs to be publicized globally and it really makes all of us proud ! Best Regards, Dr. Carmo D'Cruz, Indian Harbour Beach, Florida. From: Goanet Reader The Xenophobia Distraction: Can Goa Afford It? by V. M. de Malar Sixteen years ago, a senior British politician created a huge controversy by accusing immigrant countrymen of divided loyalties. Norman Tebbit declared "a large proportion of Britain's Asian population fails to pass the cricket test. Which side do they cheer for?" _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org