Daijiworld Media Network - Doha (CN)
Doha, Nov 7: Vaxim Divar, Dubai, won the first Intra-Gulf Goans football tournament, organized by the Goan Welfare Association (GWA) of Doha-Qatar, defeating Santos United, Kuwait, at the Al Ahli Stadium, recently.
Vaxim Divar won the one-day tourney with a 4-3 score in the penalty shoot-out. The teams all had nine members. Vaxim Divar scored through Orlando Viegas, Adler D’Cruz, Collin D’Cruz, and Dino Diasm in the tie-breaker while Tiago Fernandes, Godwin Fernandes and Jimmy Gouveia were successful in finding the mark for Santos United, after both teams were goalless at the end of full time play.
Savio Messais, secretary, Goa Football Association (GFA), was the chief guest at the tournament. He said that GFA plans to host a similar tournament in Goa for Goans based across the world. ‘Organizing a tournament of such a magnitude within a short time requires a lot of effort and team work. The successful staging of the event shows the commitment and dedication of Goans to the cause of football’, he said.
Messais assured the cooperation and support of the GFA for more such events in the future. Antonio Marcus Pacheco, goalkeeper’s coach of the Indian team, who was the guest of honour said tournaments of this kind helped revive old memories. Jassim Ali Mohamed Ibrahim, former football player of Qatar, was the special guest.
Other guests who attended the final were Dr Mohan Thomas, president, ICBF, Divakar Poojary, general secretary, ICBF, Lester Morgan Fernandes, sales manager, Qatar Industrial and Equipment, Savio Saldanha, general manager, Doha Motors, and Joe Alvito Carvalho.
Simon D’Silva, president of GWA, welcomed the chief guest and special invitees. He also presented mementoes to Messais, Pacheco, Ibrahim, and Sequeira, on behalf of the association. Gaspar Crasto, chairman, Bahrain Goans Football League, presented a token of appreciation to the association for organizing the tournament. All players were also presented medals.
Jerson Sequeira, chief co-ordinator of the tournament, was felicitated for his hard work in organizing this tournament and making it a historic one. The ten teams which participated in the tournament were Goa Veterans, Santos United Kuwait, Navelim Youth Centre-Kuwait, Bahrain Goans, BSB Bahrain, Vaxim Divar-Dubai, ABC Benaulim-Dubai, Aldona United-Dubai, GWA Red, and GWA Blue.
Seven former international players who represented India participated in this tournament. Bruno Coutinho (Arjuna Awardee), Camilo Gonsalves, Lawrence Gomes, Savio Maderia, Franky Barreto, Chandrakant Naik, and Flaviano Leitao.
The following prizes were awarded:
Vaxim Divar, Dubai - Winners
Santos United, Kuwait - Runners-Up
Aldona United, Dubai - Third Place
Navelim Youth Center, Kuwait - Fourth Place
Top Scorer - Urbano Borges (Aldona United, Dubai )
Best Player of the Tournament - Roque Carneiro (Goa Veterans)
Man of the Match - Orlando Viegas ( Vaxim Divar, Dubai)
Player of the Final - Tiago Fernandes (Santos United, Kuwait.)
Best Goalkeeper - Mark (Vaxim Divar, Dubai )
Best Disciplined Team - ABC Benaulim, Dubai