[Goanet-News] Meeting... and adding a face to the name (and the emails)

[Frederick Noronha]

MEETING... AND ADDING A FACE TO THE NAME (AND THE EMAILS)

NOW, I SEE IT AS another lost cause. I just don't try to
convince people that I don't call myself "Fred" (my one-time
email ID). So, when I heard someone call out "Freddy", I
didn't protest.

Turned out that Menin Rodrigues was there on time... all the
way from Karachi. It was almost three... and I was almost
late. We got talking -- not that I know much about Karachi --
and in no time, the Caldeira brothers showed up. So I put
them in touch, interrupted only a little, and got down to
checking out the place.

Menin's card said: http://www.goansofpakistan.org and among
other designations, it listed his role as founder-member,
Board of Governors, St Patrick's College of Karachi and ditto
for St Joseph's College, Karachi. He's president and CEO of
SHAMROCK Communications (Pvt) Ltd, chairman of SHAMROCK
conferences international, and honorary secretary of The Old
Patricians (TOPS) Alumni. I didn't understand the last, but
impressed I was. Hear Menin on the Karachi Goans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWPFJAuUF2U

In a little while, Goa Director of Education and historian Dr
Celsa Pinto showed up. So did the Sequeira Sisters (Lizanne
Sequeira da Cunha and Ingrid Mascarenhas), who seemed
relieved to find the few others at the ex-Karachi Goans meet.

  From what one overheard, they were sharing notes on
  the Goan settlements there, how these had changed,
  how the Cincinnatus Town had been renamed Garden
  East, and much more. By the end of it all, I heard
  them discuss the possibilities of making another
  visit to the place they called home, how easy or
  tough it was to get visas, and how a flight from
  Bombay to Karachi was just 75 minutes.

But even as Goanetters started to trickle in for the 4 pm
meet, we heard Caetano Filipe Colaco call out for assistance.
His 96-year-old father-in-law, the legendary band-leader of
the yesteryears, Micky Correa, had actually made it for the
ex-Karachi Goans meet!

This is what another website
[http://bluerhythm.wordpress.com/] wrote in October 2009:

  While in Bombay, thanks to Christine Correa, we
  were able to spend a morning with Micky Correa.  As
  the resident band leader at the Taj Hotel for 21
  years, from the 1940s through the 1960s, he is a
  living repository of the era of Big Bands in
  Bombay.

  Micky memories include sessions with the diaspora
  of American jazz men who were featured at the Taj.
  Micky is among the last of band leaders from that
  era and has the distinction of being the first
  Indian band-leader at the Taj. Men and women
  mentored and groomed in Mickey's swing and lounge
  bands went on to lead bands of their own and/or
  earn handsome livings in Bollywood, including Chic
  Chocolate, Johnny Baptiste, Lucille Pacheco and
  others.

  Micky Correa turned 96 last week... would you
  believe it! And although he has not been able to
  play his baritone sax in many years, he can still
  pound out a tune on his piano

Check out his photo here: The Sequeira Sisters -- Lizanne
Sequeira da Cunha and Ingrid Mascarenhas (one a former Miss
Goa of 1979) -- pose with the oldest ex-Karachi Goan at the
meet, 96-year-old former music genius of the yesteryears,
Micky Correa, who came specially for the ex-Karachi Goans
meet. Photo copylefted by FN.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4222614152/

By this time, Rui Lobo was present, and offered some of his
classic renditions of old Konkani songs on the guitar. Hear
him effortlessly plucking his strings here (caution, not all
Konkani, so no controversy please!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apXLIufU7Jo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5S5XzGIeA

This was followed by a leisurely round of introductions. Among
those present were (in order of the attendance sheet):
Karachi Goan Menin Rodrigues, Goa Sudharop's George Pinto,
pioneer musician of the yesteryears Micky Correa, Lizanne
Sequeira da Cunha and Ingrid Mascarenhas, historian and
education-director (Goa) Dr Celsa Pinto, Bonnie Fernandes of
Siolim, former Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo, young management
student of Ahmedabad Jason Monserrate (also of
Goanet-Sports), ex-Loyola's Stanley Marchon and Joshua
Marchon, GoaWeb founder Marlon Menezes, guitarist Vernon De
Sa, guitar teacher Rui Lobo, engineer Caetano Filipe Colaco,
Domnic P.F. Fernandes ('Domnic's Goa') of Anjuna, Vivian D.
D'Souza of Socorro, Joe and Jackie Castelino of
Gothenburg/Nerul, Basilio Monteiro of Merces, Lily and
ex-RAFer Gabe Menezes of London, author-painter-academic Dr
Savia Viegas of Carmona, and journalist Ashley D'Mello of
Mumbai (Times of India).

Also present were campaigner Roland Martins of Mapusa,
prominent designer Wendell Rodricks of Colvale, humour
writer Cecil Pinto, Margao-based
engineer-tu

[Goanet-News] COMMENT: Men of God and the beautiful Game (Lector Mascarenhas, IndianFootball.com)

[Goanet News]

Guest Column
Men of God and the beautiful Game

Thursday, 17. December 2009 - Lector Mascarenhas (GW)

Their main mission in this world is to spread the good news about
Jesus Christ but along the long journey the Priests have served
humanity immensely through the field of Education and the game of
Football.

Goa is known the world over as a top tourist spot but in India it is
also known as the best state in the game of Football. In the last
football calendar, Goa claimed two prestigious titles in Indian
football, the I-League and the Santosh Trophy, won by Churchill
Brothers and the Goa State, respectively.

Goa's climb in football has been slow but steady and now as Goa
Football Association is completing fifty years since it establishment
on the 22nd of December, 1959, we can go down memory lane and take
great pride with nostalgia in our achievements over the years. Since
1959, several Presidents, Secretaries and other Executive Members have
sacrificed, toiled hard, sincerely and selflessly to reach the summit.

The backbone of the Goa Football Association is undoubtedly the clubs
who have kept football live and kicking both at the national level and
the village level. We are fortunate to have both the big clubs and the
small clubs. The small village clubs are the nurseries of football and
the big clubs provide bread and butter to the players. We would not
have reached the top without the two complementing one another.


I am sure many, players, administrators, referees etc, will claim
credit for contributing much to Goan football and rightly so but the
immense contribution of the priests through the schools they run in
Goa, cannot be underestimated.

In the seventies, school football was at its best. Monte de Guirim,
Don Bosco High School, Panaji, Mount Mary High Scool, Chinchinim and
Guardian Angel High School, Sanvordem-Curchorem were some of the
prominent schools which have given great players to top Goan clubs,
State and the country. All these schools were headed by priests who
were very passionate about the game. Thankfully, now there are several
more schools headed by priests continuing the tradition.

In its fiftieth year, Goa Football Association too has rightly laid
stress on development at the grass roots, the under 8-10 age group
called the 'fun stage' or in other words the stress is on school
football. Money spent on youth development is money spent wisely as it
lays a strong foundation for a better tomorrow. But unfortunately
there are not much funds available to train and give proper
infrastructure to our youth.

Our top Goan I-League clubs are known to have budgets in crores for
each season, Professional clubs the world over have their own
academies for youth development. In the absence of this, our
professional clubs should adopt and fund schools to develop the game
at the grass roots. Then and then only our dreams of having a true
professional leagues, both at the national and state level, would be a
reality otherwise they will just remain cosmetic in nature.


As we celebrate fifty years, it would be in the fitness of things to
bring forth the origin of football in the world and our little state
of Goa. According to FIFA and GFA websites, the very earliest form of
the game, for which there is scientific evidence, dates back to the
second and third centuries B.C. in China.

In 1863 the first Code of Rules were drafted in England, when the
world's first football association was founded - The Football
Association in England.

In 1883, Rev Fr William Robert Lyons, came to Siolim, in Bardez
taluka, from Udipi, the neighbouring state of Karnataka, founded a
school at Siolim and introduced football there. Therefore, the GFA
websites states that Fr Lyons might well be considered as the father
of the game in Goa.

This article is written to pay tribute to all the priests, both
present and past, who have selflessly and very quietly done yeomen
service to the game of football.

http://www.indianfootball.com/en/news/articleId/2303