Lector Mascarenhas

 

Goans, they say, take to football as fish takes to water. I am no exception, having played the game right from school level in Goa, to the highest level in the country. I had the opportunity to represent India when the team from Sao Paulo,Brazil played an exhibition match at Nehru Stadium, Delhi in 1989. I was also selected to play for India XI versus the Sao Paulo Club, Brazil in 1984 at Mumbai and a year before I was selected as a reserve player of the India team in 1983 that played the President Gold Cup at Bangladesh.

During this long journey in the game of football, I was fortunate to play around 35 times for the State of Goa which includes six nationals and exhibition matches. Incidentally I happen to be one of the very few players in Goa who have won the ‘GOLD Medal’ in both the Junior Nationals ( Ernakulam,Kerala, 1981) and the Senior Nationals(Santosh Trophy at Madras, 1984). I am proud to have played for three champion clubs of India such as Salgaocar SC( 1980=84), Tata SC(1984-85) and Dempo SC(1985-89) after which I went on to play for my departmental team ( Goa Customs-1989-94). I started with my village club-Guardian Angel SC in 1978 and finally hung my boots in 1994 after a long inning of around fifteen years of top football in India. It was also a great honour for me to be inducted as an executive member of ‘Goa Football Association’ for the term 2007-2010. The Goa State recognised my contribution to ‘Goan Football’ by bestowing on me the ‘Jivadababa Kerkar Award’ in 2003, the highest sports award in Goa.

Presently I am working as a Superintendent of Customs & Central Excise,Goa and being very passionate about the game of football, do express my views on the current state of affairs pertaining to the game, both in the State of Goa and India.