Football is a beautiful game when it spins around love and this was evident when players, officials and fans of Panvel Sports Club that won the Bandodkar Gold Trophy in 1974 met to celebrate fifty years of memories laced with pride.
At that time the club had created history by being the only club, outside the corporate circle, to defeat teams from across India to reach the finals and beat Sesa SC 2-0 for the title.
“I went by bus from Panjim via Ponda with Mr Botelho. After reaching Margao, we had lunch at Bar Salcette and walked to the Rajendra Prasad stadium,” recollects Arjuna awardee Brahmanand Sancoalcar, who was scouted by Botelho and named captain of the team.
“After reaching the stadium, we slept on the metal bench till around 3.30 pm and on waking up, walked out for a cup of tea and got ready. After Alex Miranda scored the first goal, I relaxed a bit and when Francis D’Souza scored the second it became better and it was then that I realised I had worn the wrong shorts,” muses Brahmanand.
The gathering to celebrate 50 years of winning the title was a fellowship of individuals passionate about the game, of former teammates who believe that the club would never have reached such heights without the foresight and care of Botelho.
“Football is not created through politics but love and it is because of Botelho that Goa Football Association (GFA) was formed and that love percolated to players,” admitted Honorato Velho, another all-time great of GFA.
Football is not created through politics but love and it is because of Botelho that Goa Football Association (GFA) was formed and that love percolated to players
Honorato Velho
As old players met, after many years, there was laughter and tears. “I still cannot believe how I missed the first penalty I took at Cooperage stadium in Bombay. I was playing under floodlights and I just ballooned the ball,” reminiscences defender Edmund Rodrigues from Verna.
Botelho is the livewire that keeps memories of the past threaded and the last time the players and officials had met was when they celebrated 45 years of that victory in 1999.
“We (Panvel SC) were supported by the late Dayanand Bandodkar. He used to send the team to participate in tournaments in Belgaum, Kolhapur and other places. He was the best Chief Minister we have had and ever will,” said defender John Coutinho, who hails from Panvel and was part of the winning team.
“Coming here is special to me. I am old and suffering from dementia but I forget all my problems when I meet with my colleagues. For us, football was brotherhood. It is something the current players will not understand,” stated Suhas Amonkar who played as left back on that glorious evening.
Panvel Sports Club was, and is, the only Goan football team which fielded four doctors and an engineer, who are Dr Mazarelo, Dr Wilfred Mesquita, Dr Bonny Pereira and Dr Agnel D’Cruz and engineer Zingde.
“My foundation was laid by Panvel Sports Club. I got that drive to excel during training with my other colleagues. Then we used to practice to win. That was the emphasis,” says Francis D’Souza, scorer in the final and the first Goan player to have played for Mohun Bagan.
Fifty years did not seem to be a long time ago as, despite the greying hair, Botelho managed to show that age is not a deterrent for good things in life.
