After Football, What? Goan Footballers Abroad
By Armstrong Vaz, Qatar
Doha Aug 6: After an end to a football playing career, what's next had been a dilemma that was troubling Navelim based professional player Denis Cabral some five years before. And from that moment, he had set in motion the process of preparing for life after football. He had firmly set his sights on becoming a European Union citizen by availing the Portuguese citizenship.
Unwind to 2007, with yet another football season set to roll in, football lovers from Goa and the rest of the country, would not find the diminutive midfielder playing for any of the clubs in Goa. Cause, he has decided to hang his boots for good. After 13 years of a football career which kick started with Salcete Football Club the cubby faced player has departed to Portugal enroute to England, armed as he is with a Portuguese passport, to set up his base in England.
With his Indian football credentials as a footballer, Cabral does not see any chance of him securing a job in any football or sports related job. " I will have to look out for a job in England and look for accommodation when I reach England", he told this writer while waiting for his onward flight to Switzerland enroute to Portugal.
Cabral joins an increasing number of Goans, who have availed the Portuguese government's policy of giving citizenship to his former colony residents- Goa, Damand & Diu, Nagar, Haveli. A citizenship which guarantee's one the privilege of becoming a European Union citizen.
Rough estimates figure out that around 1,50,000 Portuguese Goans are now based in England itself.
The former footballer, who last season played for Velsao Pale Sports Club and then was released on loan by the club at the end of the Goa League, to play for Churchill Bros in the National Football League, joins a number of Goan footballers who have migrated to England through the Portugal route in recent years.
Former Salgaocar Sports Club players, defender Hercules Gomes from Navelim, midfielder Arnold Alfonso from Betalbatim, Former Dempo Sports Club goalkeeper Anthony Cardozo, Former Churchill Bros. striker Praveen Fernandes , both from Navelim, Calangute born former Sesa Goa defender Edmundo Fernandes are some of the prominent footballers who are now based in England and hold Portuguese passports.
Anthony Baretto
But there are others who have settled in England and become British citizens, in different ways, Navelim-born former Sesa Goa midfielder Anthony Baretto (Ashiqui) who fell in love with an English girl while she was on a holiday in Goa and tied the knot with her. While all other Goans based in England are into jobs not connected with football, Baretto and Edmundo have kept their touch and love for football going, thanks to the part time job they do at the football stadiums, besides their regular job.
"With a job at Newcastle United as a steward I cannot survive on that job alone, cause it will be only part time and that too twice a month and only when Newcastle United plays at home," says Anthony. He further adds, "An accommodation in the north of England costs around £70 pounds a week for which one has to have a fulltime time job to survive on that sort of money but in London its very easy to get accommodation but jobs are hard to find," says Anthony on the scenario facing Goans who want to move to London.
Carmona born Jules Alberto Dias is another international footballer who has settled in England along with his family. The Dias couple passed the stringent British point system to migrate to England under the skilled workers category.
Over the years, Goan footballers after finishing their football careers or some mid-way through them have migrated to greener pastures. Some of them have managed to keep the sporting touch going.
Franky Barretto (left) at Dubai; Anthony Fernandes (right) in UK
Dubai based former International Franky Baretto, is one such footballer. He has been working as a Head of the sports department in ' University of Wollongong In Dubai ' for the last three and half years, an Australian university wherein 3000 students are enrolled. Besides looking after the sports department of the University, he also coaches the university football team. A Commerce graduate from Damodar College Margao, he has recently passed the English FA level 1 certificate in coaching.
Some of prominent Goan footballers based in UAE are likes of Orlando Viegas, Casmiro Palha (Both Ex-Dempo) Benny D'Costa (Ex-Orkay Mumbai) and Anthony Travasso( Ex- Salgaocar).
Gasper Crasto (left) & Sarto Baptista (right) at Kuwait's Soor Grounds
Another Goan player who is making waves on and off the football field is Kuwait based Gasper Crasto. The former Salgaocar striker who finished his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering during his playing career, is associated with promoting football among the Indian community in Kuwait. He has his own website http://gaspersworld.tripod.com/ and occasionally dabbles in contributing articles for www.indianfootball.com . He also writes for www.goa-world.com and Kuwait's Arab Times on a host of issues. After leaving the 1998-99 football season with Salgaocars midway, he landed in Kuwait and is currently working with KEO International Consultants. "Not every footballer can survive on past glory," he adds, "Football players should give equal emphasis to education not to be lost later in life-after-football."
Standing left to right: Tiago, Agnelo Miranda, Teotonio & Alvaro in Kuwait
Goan footballers based in Kuwait, and still kicking around include Joseph Salema (Mafatlal), Avelino Dias (India Juniors) – goalkeeper, Britto Pereira - ex-Churchill/Vasco goalkeeper, Sarto Baptista (Ex-Salgaocar), Anthony Rebello (Hanged his boots), Agnelo Miranda – ex-Dempo, Tiago Fernandes – ex-Salgaocars, Alvaro Dias (MRF/Churchill Bros/Vasco), Teotonio - Anderson Marine defender, Vico Fernandes – Ex-Sporting de Goa, etc.
In Qatar, where football action between Goans have ceased for the last three years, former international Flaviano Leitao made his transition from football to earning a living and is based in the capital Doha. Former Vasco keeper Sudhir earlier worked in Qatar but has since left for Goa. Bahrain, which has a large chunk of Goan population also organizes football tournaments and a football League.
Keeping the trend of Goans being migratory species, a few footballers are now based in Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Former Salgaocar SC defender Francis (Seby) Coelho from Majorda is now based in Cayman Islands. Giving him company is former Churchill bros striker Sukhdev Arwade. Coelho, who qualified as a referee in Goa, has passed the referee's test in Cayman Island and is officiating some local matches involving visiting tourist teams in the holiday beachside hub. A place constantly visited by cruise liners.
Elsewhere in the Bermuda, Frank Fernandes and Feliciano Menezes, the two former Sesa Sports Club and Goa under-21 colleagues are keeping company and arrange football matches to keep the football spirit going.
With a new trend of Goans migrating to United States emerging in recent years, Chandor born Saby Antao is one who has taken a plunge in a sports related career. The former Mahindra United defender and junior international who passed from Chowgule College Margao is one. He is Athletic Director and the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the New York City Board of Education School. He is also the Head coach of the Baruch Varsity Football team. Currently he is doing a doctorate program in Physical therapy. He says "My plans are to work for a sports team and use my expertise in Strength and conditioning to help Indian sports if they need it." Antao has also done his Masters in Sports Management.
One thing is sure you cannot take away football from Goans no matter where they are based. But the question which troubles the mind is Goa and its system preparing footballers for a transition for life after football. That needs serious pondering.
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=49800
Doha Aug 6: After an end to a football playing career, what's next had been a dilemma that was troubling Navelim based professional player Denis Cabral some five years before. And from that moment, he had set in motion the process of preparing for life after football. He had firmly set his sights on becoming a European Union citizen by availing the Portuguese citizenship.
Unwind to 2007, with yet another football season set to roll in, football lovers from Goa and the rest of the country, would not find the diminutive midfielder playing for any of the clubs in Goa. Cause, he has decided to hang his boots for good. After 13 years of a football career which kick started with Salcete Football Club the cubby faced player has departed to Portugal enroute to England, armed as he is with a Portuguese passport, to set up his base in England.
With his Indian football credentials as a footballer, Cabral does not see any chance of him securing a job in any football or sports related job. " I will have to look out for a job in England and look for accommodation when I reach England", he told this writer while waiting for his onward flight to Switzerland enroute to Portugal.
Cabral joins an increasing number of Goans, who have availed the Portuguese government's policy of giving citizenship to his former colony residents- Goa, Damand & Diu, Nagar, Haveli. A citizenship which guarantee's one the privilege of becoming a European Union citizen.
Rough estimates figure out that around 1,50,000 Portuguese Goans are now based in England itself.
The former footballer, who last season played for Velsao Pale Sports Club and then was released on loan by the club at the end of the Goa League, to play for Churchill Bros in the National Football League, joins a number of Goan footballers who have migrated to England through the Portugal route in recent years.
Former Salgaocar Sports Club players, defender Hercules Gomes from Navelim, midfielder Arnold Alfonso from Betalbatim, Former Dempo Sports Club goalkeeper Anthony Cardozo, Former Churchill Bros. striker Praveen Fernandes , both from Navelim, Calangute born former Sesa Goa defender Edmundo Fernandes are some of the prominent footballers who are now based in England and hold Portuguese passports.
Anthony Baretto
But there are others who have settled in England and become British citizens, in different ways, Navelim-born former Sesa Goa midfielder Anthony Baretto (Ashiqui) who fell in love with an English girl while she was on a holiday in Goa and tied the knot with her. While all other Goans based in England are into jobs not connected with football, Baretto and Edmundo have kept their touch and love for football going, thanks to the part time job they do at the football stadiums, besides their regular job.
"With a job at Newcastle United as a steward I cannot survive on that job alone, cause it will be only part time and that too twice a month and only when Newcastle United plays at home," says Anthony. He further adds, "An accommodation in the north of England costs around £70 pounds a week for which one has to have a fulltime time job to survive on that sort of money but in London its very easy to get accommodation but jobs are hard to find," says Anthony on the scenario facing Goans who want to move to London.
Carmona born Jules Alberto Dias is another international footballer who has settled in England along with his family. The Dias couple passed the stringent British point system to migrate to England under the skilled workers category.
Over the years, Goan footballers after finishing their football careers or some mid-way through them have migrated to greener pastures. Some of them have managed to keep the sporting touch going.
Franky Barretto (left) at Dubai; Anthony Fernandes (right) in UK
Dubai based former International Franky Baretto, is one such footballer. He has been working as a Head of the sports department in ' University of Wollongong In Dubai ' for the last three and half years, an Australian university wherein 3000 students are enrolled. Besides looking after the sports department of the University, he also coaches the university football team. A Commerce graduate from Damodar College Margao, he has recently passed the English FA level 1 certificate in coaching.
Some of prominent Goan footballers based in UAE are likes of Orlando Viegas, Casmiro Palha (Both Ex-Dempo) Benny D'Costa (Ex-Orkay Mumbai) and Anthony Travasso( Ex- Salgaocar).
Gasper Crasto (left) & Sarto Baptista (right) at Kuwait's Soor Grounds
Another Goan player who is making waves on and off the football field is Kuwait based Gasper Crasto. The former Salgaocar striker who finished his Diploma in Mechanical Engineering during his playing career, is associated with promoting football among the Indian community in Kuwait. He has his own website http://gaspersworld.tripod.com/ and occasionally dabbles in contributing articles for www.indianfootball.com . He also writes for www.goa-world.com and Kuwait's Arab Times on a host of issues. After leaving the 1998-99 football season with Salgaocars midway, he landed in Kuwait and is currently working with KEO International Consultants. "Not every footballer can survive on past glory," he adds, "Football players should give equal emphasis to education not to be lost later in life-after-football."
Standing left to right: Tiago, Agnelo Miranda, Teotonio & Alvaro in Kuwait
Goan footballers based in Kuwait, and still kicking around include Joseph Salema (Mafatlal), Avelino Dias (India Juniors) – goalkeeper, Britto Pereira - ex-Churchill/Vasco goalkeeper, Sarto Baptista (Ex-Salgaocar), Anthony Rebello (Hanged his boots), Agnelo Miranda – ex-Dempo, Tiago Fernandes – ex-Salgaocars, Alvaro Dias (MRF/Churchill Bros/Vasco), Teotonio - Anderson Marine defender, Vico Fernandes – Ex-Sporting de Goa, etc.
In Qatar, where football action between Goans have ceased for the last three years, former international Flaviano Leitao made his transition from football to earning a living and is based in the capital Doha. Former Vasco keeper Sudhir earlier worked in Qatar but has since left for Goa. Bahrain, which has a large chunk of Goan population also organizes football tournaments and a football League.
Keeping the trend of Goans being migratory species, a few footballers are now based in Cayman Islands and Bermuda. Former Salgaocar SC defender Francis (Seby) Coelho from Majorda is now based in Cayman Islands. Giving him company is former Churchill bros striker Sukhdev Arwade. Coelho, who qualified as a referee in Goa, has passed the referee's test in Cayman Island and is officiating some local matches involving visiting tourist teams in the holiday beachside hub. A place constantly visited by cruise liners.
Elsewhere in the Bermuda, Frank Fernandes and Feliciano Menezes, the two former Sesa Sports Club and Goa under-21 colleagues are keeping company and arrange football matches to keep the football spirit going.
With a new trend of Goans migrating to United States emerging in recent years, Chandor born Saby Antao is one who has taken a plunge in a sports related career. The former Mahindra United defender and junior international who passed from Chowgule College Margao is one. He is Athletic Director and the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the New York City Board of Education School. He is also the Head coach of the Baruch Varsity Football team. Currently he is doing a doctorate program in Physical therapy. He says "My plans are to work for a sports team and use my expertise in Strength and conditioning to help Indian sports if they need it." Antao has also done his Masters in Sports Management.
One thing is sure you cannot take away football from Goans no matter where they are based. But the question which troubles the mind is Goa and its system preparing footballers for a transition for life after football. That needs serious pondering.
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=49800
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