Below is the text of speech by KIFF PRESIDENT Mr. Fidelis Fernandes at the felicitation ceremony conducted by Kuwait Indian Football Federation on 13/12/2013 at the MOH Ground for Mr. Anthony Veronica Fernandes who will be leaving Kuwait for good, shortly.
GENTLEMEN.
WE STAND HERE TO BID FAREWELL TO OUR DEAR FRIEND AND LONG TIME COLLEAGUE MR. VERONICA FERNANDES, SINCE HE IS LEAVING KUWAIT FOR GOOD AFTER 38 YEARS.
MR. VERONICA FERNANDES, A FOOTBALLER, A JOURNALIST, OUR LONG TIME ASSOCIATE HELPING FOOTBALL FEDERATION ETC AND LIST GOES ON.
FIRST WE SHALL TOUCH HIS FOOTBALL ACTIVITIES WHERE HE WAS A PLAYER, IN GOA HE CAPTAINED THE CANDOLIM FOOTBALL TEAM, PLAYED FOR ARPORA SCHOOL, ST. XAVIER COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM, CHWGULE CFOOTBALL TEAM, HE ALSO PLAYED FOR THE THEN MIGHTY CHAMPION OF GOA " SESA GOA FOOTBALL TEAM" IN MANY PARTS OF INDIA INCLUDING ROVERS CUB IN BOMBAY. HE CAME TO KUWAIT IN 1975 AND HE PLAYED AS CAPTAIN FOR SALMIYA YOUTH CLUB IN THE INAUGURAL TOURNAMENT IN 1979 AT SOUR GROUND. HE WAS THE CO FOUNDER OF GOA MAROONS AND PLAYED FOR THEM. HE WAS THE BEST DEFENDER AMONG INDIANS DURING HIS HEY DAYS.
MR. VERONICA WAS ONE OF THE PROMOTERS OF KUWAIT INDIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION, HE WAS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE MEMBER OF KIFF AND LATER A TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEMBER.
HE WAS WRITING ABOUT THE FOOTBALL ACTIVITIES ON THE SOUR GROUNDS AT THE TIME WHEN THERE WAS NO INTERNET AND THE PRINT MEDIA WAS THE ONLY SOURCE AVAILABLE FOR THE FOOTBALL LOVERS IN KUWAIT.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A CRITIC IN ANY TYPE OF SPORTS WHICH HELPS THE COTROLLING BODY TO CORRECT ITSELF. HIS REPORTINGS WERE VERY HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE.
HIS JOURNALIST STATURE WAS ALSO VERY IMPRESSIVE WHERE HE WROTE A LOT ABOUT THE BRUTAL INVASION OF KUWAIT AND ORGANIZED THE SUPPORT FOR THE KUWAITIS IN GOA DURING THE INVASION.
HE ALSO TOOK UP THE KONKANI LANGUAGE ISSUE AND ORGANIZED VARIOUS FORUMS IN SUPPORT OF IT, DEDICATING HIS TIME AND EFFORT FOR THE CAUSE, WHICH WAS EQUALLY APPRECIATED BY ALL CONCERNED.
MR. VERONICA YOUR POPULARITY CAN BE GAUGED BY THE PRESENCE OF ALL THE CLUB PRESIDENTS, REPRESENTATIVES,MY MANAGING COMMITTEE AND FOOTBALL LOVERS BID YOU FAREWELL..
ON BEHALF OF THE MANAGING COMMITTEE AND ALL THE ASSOCIATED CLUBS, I STAND HERE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL WHAT HE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL AND TO THE FOOTBALL ACTIVITY IN PARTICULAR.
WE ALL WISH YOU A VERY GOOD HEALTH, GOOD LIFE AND GOD BLESS YOU.
FIDELIS FERNANDES
PRESIDENT
KUWAIT INDIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION
Pics: Julio Cardoso / Revon Gomes