10th of February will remain an unique date in the history of Candolim Football arena because on this date the Candolim Foot-ball Arena was inaugurated to cater to the needs of the football playing teams and players. It was the wonderful work done by the Candolim Panchayat under the leadership of young and energetic Sarpanch Blaize and his team of the Panchas.
The football ground was just repaired and reworked by spending lot of money by the Panchayat and the name of this Stadium is rightly retained as Dr. Gustavo Monteiro who has done so much for the development of Candolim soccer from early fifties when he used to run the Club almost single handedly even when the Candolim figured in the elite club of first division along with the then mighty teams of Goa dotted with some of the great Portuguese Pakle players from Portugal and also the Negro players from the Portuguese Colonies. Can anyone remember the deadly magician right outer of Vasco Sports Club the renowned Arantel? Similarly, can any one remember the much greater than all the greats from Portugal and its colonies, the gigantic and deadly sharp shooter Negro foot-baller playing for Bemfica's Mapusa as Centre forward? Will we be able to see such genii again in our remaining life? And is there anyone in my own village Candolim who remembers the 4 dynamic Prtuguese Pakle soldiers from Aguada who were inducted into the Candolim team thru the tremendous efforts of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro the moment Candolim just a village team qualified into the Primeiro Divisao, thanks to the excellent efforts put in by Dr. Gustavo Monteiro to get them? Otherwise who else could do this job besides Dr. Gustavo in the absence of any other village stalwart? Why cannot we with the combined efforts of the Panchayat, local MLA Michael Lobo, family members of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro and of course the locals jointly embark on the mission of erecting the Monument or at a least a bust of Dr. Gustavo Monteiro in view of the excellent work he did in the promotion of Candolim Foot-ball? The team that Candolim had and that had qualified for the First Divission was known as dream team and during those days the name and fame of that dream soccer team of Candolim even reached to Portugal. Some of the players of that golden team were Goalkeepers Antonio Cabral (Tony Cal) from Orda St. Cruz and Shripad near Shanta Durga Temple; Backs - Right: Andrew Machado from Orda St. Cruz and Baba Naik - Left Back; Midfielders Madhu Left Half - Centre Half my one brother Jose Marie and Rright Half Bushan who never played with Boots; Centre Forward Cheddo my other brother, right wing Babazinho, left wing Kamal and left outer Satchut. It is to be noted that in Candolim first time in the history 3 brothers played together namely Kamal-Madhu - Satchut and the second a team of three brothers played for one team of Candolim were Cheddo-Jose Marie -Antonio Veronica Fernandes.
The ground was left into the hands of Dr Gustavo Monteiro who in the mid sixties handed it over to the Candolim Panchayat which was the right decision. Though it was not his own ground but it belonged to the Nuns who acquired it for them to construct a big Convent but due to some unavoidable circumstances, they were denied permission by their Headquarters to construct the Convent. Then the Nuns left Candolim and Goa as well by leaving that big property into the hands of Portuguese Patriarch of Goa from whom Dr. Gustavo Monteiro got it for the local boys to play foot-ball. Since it did not belong to Dr. Monteiro, he did the right thing by not keeping it for him.
Since the custody of foot-ball ground is the monopoly of Panchayat, the leadership of Blaize as Sarpanch has created lot of activities for the local boys. The local MLA Micahel Lobo is very helpful and co-operative in promoting these activities and speaking to me he said he will do everything within his capacity to develop Candolim boys in sports in general and in foot-ball in particulars. This view in mind, Candolim Panchayat started Foot-ball Academy in Candolim which is organized by the local soccer expert Ricardo Cardoso who was an international goalkeeper having vast experience in this field. He is the son of once renowned and highly professional goal-keeper of Goa during his days and who even started a soccer Academy in Candolim but as per information the moment the leadership of local soccer body was changed then this Academy was stopped.
Coming back to the Football Academy under the guidance of Ricardo Cardoso, about 50 local young boys are getting training on this ground and as Mich/ael Lobo said within the next few years Candolim will produce some of the topmost Goan footballers.
Since the custody of foot-ball ground is the monopoly of Panchayat, the leadership of Blaize as Sarpanch has created lot of activities for the local boys. The local MLA Micahel Lobo is very helpful and co-operative in promoting these activities and speaking to me he said he will do everything within his capacity to develop Candolim boys in sports in general and in foot-ball in particulars. This view in mind, Candolim Panchayat started Foot-ball Academy in Candolim which is organized by the local soccer expert Ricardo Cardoso who was an international goalkeeper having vast experience in this field. He is the son of once renowned and highly professional goal-keeper of Goa during his days and who even started a soccer Academy in Candolim but as per information the moment the leadership of local soccer body was changed then this Academy was stopped.
Coming back to the Football Academy under the guidance of Ricardo Cardoso, about 50 local young boys are getting training on this ground and as Mich/ael Lobo said within the next few years Candolim will produce some of the topmost Goan footballers.
On 10th afternoon the foot-ball ground and the entire stadium was having electrifying effect on the large number of spectators not only from Candolim but also from the ambient villages gathered to greet Coro and his other 2 FC colleagues Jahou and Mohammad Nawaz. Coro was the Chief guest for the function to inaugurate the Football Arena which he did in the presence of Michael Lobo and huge gathering. Then a friendly foot-ball match was played between Churchill Bros. and Cidade de Goa which ended in a goalless draw and in the ensuing penalty shoot-out, the Cidade de Goa won the match.
A.Veronica Fernandes.