Life after football: Goan footballers head for foreign shores

Home > Sports > Article

With little opportunity to develop coaching skills in India, players from Goa are making a life for themselves in outposts all over the world. The effects on local Goan football could be devastating with countries like Bahrain having Goan tournaments.

CJ: Evaristo

Mon, Jan 21, 2008 15:12:37 IST

Views:
1409
Comments:
0

Rate:

5.0 / 1 votes

Goa Football Tournaments

AFTER ENDING his football career, South Goa-based player Denis Cabral was unsure of his future. He had set his sights on becoming a Portuguese citizen and having achieved the aim he is now enroute to England to set up his base.

Cabral joins an increasing number of Goans who have taken advantage of the Portuguese government’s policy of giving citizenship to its former colony residents. The rough estimate is that 50–80,000 Portuguese Goans are now based in England.

Other Goan players who have come to the United Kingdom include Hercules Gomes midfielder Arnold Alfonso, goalkeeper Anthony Cardozo, striker Praveen Fernandes and Edmundo Fernandes. Anthony Baretto too has kept in touch with football as a steward at Newcastle United.

Dubai-based former international Franky Baretto has been working in the sports department of the University of Wollongong, in Dubai for the last three years. He also coaches the university football team having passed the English FA Level 1 certificate in coaching.

Another Goan player who is making waves on and off the football field is Kuwait-based Gasper Crasto. The former Salgaocar striker is promoting football among the Indian community in Kuwait.

In Qatar, former international Flaviano Leitao 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 Goan population also organises football tournaments and a football league.

Other migratory points include Cayman Islands, Bermuda and United States. Candor-born Saby Antao is conditioning coach of the New York City Board of Education School. He is also the head coach of the Baruch Varsity Football team.

One thing is sure - you cannot take away football from Goans, no matter where they are based. But the question is whether Goa has a system for preparing footballers for life after football.

E-mail |