OUR STARS

His lean, seemingly frail structure belied his tremendous potential to explode at the most unexpected moments and score remarkable goals for his team, Vasco Sports Club, which he spearheaded during its most eventful years.

Andrew D''Souza, Vasco Sports Club''s centre-forward for 13 long years was the crucial link in the then famous A-B-C-D combination of Andrew, Bernard, Catao and Domnic. This marauding forward line sent shivers down an opponent''s spine. The lethal combination, the likes of which Goa is yet to see again, was a treat to watch. "Whenever we took the field, our opponents always had their hands full in trying to contain us. The four of us never had to really work out a strategy or struggle to combine. We could read each other''s minds," Andrew commented on the deadly A-B-C-D combine.

Such was his usefulness to the team that his mere presence meant half the battle won.

Andrew was an intelligent player with a superb sleight of foot. He had the uncanny knack of hoodwinking the best of defenders with a body swerve or a sudden burst of speed. He could lay a splitting pass for his comrades or position himself so that he had only to use his devastating left foot to complete the mission.

A true loyalist and undoubtedly one of the best centre-forwards seen in Goa so far, Andrew began his footballing career in 1962, when he was introduced to Vasco Sports Club by Caetaninho D''Souza and Ireneu Henriques, both Vasco Sports Club players. Life was never the same for him after that. Prior to this, he used to feature in minor tournaments while playing for Padre Agnelo.

Although he had many offers from various other ell like Salgaocar Sports Club, East Bengal from Calcutta a Tatas, Andrew chose to stick with Vasco and hung up his bOi in 1975.

Even when he decided to call it a day, Andrew felt he that still some years of good football in him, but he preferred retire from the game, when in form.

"I could have continued playing but I wanted to sign-off in style. I did not want the spectators yelling from the stands for my replacement. That would have hurt my ego. I wanted to be remembered," says Andrew. And remembered he is indeed by many.

Andrew featured in the St team that participated in the first nationals at Madras in 1964 under the captaincy of Meni Figueiredo.

The quick-footed forward was also part of the famous Vasco squad of the sixties and seventies, which won laurels several tournaments held in Bombay,Calcutta and Bangalore.

He was captain of the Goa team that took part in the natiom at Quillon in 1965, and a year laler, led Vasco to victory in the Western India Football Association Trophy which beat Tata Sports Club 2-0, at the Cooperage in Bombay.

That same year Vasco Sports Club emerged as the final Goan team to enter the finals of the prestigious Rovers Cup but lost to Mohun Bagan narrowly 0-1. Two years later Andrew donned the country''s colours against Russia.

Andrew D''Souza recalls the Vasco team that he led to tit Rovers final in 1966. "It was a well balanced side which ma~ the most of the opportunities coming its way. We had a good defence in which Aboo stood like a rock. He worked tirelessly and had strong physique. We also had a good goalkeeper in Vivian Furtado. Keshav played superbly in the midfield and we had good performers like Catao and Raphael in the attack. What helped us to make a significant advance was the fact that we combined extremely well. We lost the final to Mohun Bagan, but it was a well-contested match. Kannan who came in as a substitute was a skillful forward and he scored a beautiful goal for Mohun Bagan."

In 1970, Andrew was declared the best forward of the All-India Bandodkar Gold Trophy tournament, when Vasco outplayed Dempo Sports Club, at Tilak Maidan, to claim top honours.

Earlier, in ,the semifinals, he played a stellar role in Vasco''s 4-1 triumph over Calcutta giants, East Bengal.

In the same year, Andrew''s match-winner helped Vasco lift the Sait Nagjee Trophy beating Border Security Force, at Calicut.

Andrew also assisted Vasco in the 1972 Rovers Cup final. He adds: "This side had another three players from the 1966 team; these being Shivraj, George Rosemond and Raphael. It was a stronger side as it had formidable stoppers, Ambrose and Chatunni in defence. We also had brilliant forwards in
Bernard and Domnic. Sudhir was superb under the bar. We had made the final at the cost of the fancied East Bengal and I had the fortune of getting Vasco''s match-winner. Goans from Dhobi Talao witnessed our matches in large numbers and extended their full support to the team. The football fans and the organisers too were absolutely happy when Vasco played in the Rovers Cup. They got their money''s worth."

Andrew last played for Vasco in the Chakola Gold Cup in 1975 to sum-up an eventful soccer career.

When Andrew began his career with Vasco, it was a coachless team. "At that time, our team did not have a coach as such. We would practice at Tilak Maidan among ourselves and receive guidance from our seniors. Secondly, whenever we had the opportunity, we would watch the Bengalis play, say for example during the Rovers Cup, and learn some of their techniques, for they were much advanced," says Andrew, who along with his colleagues were committed to football. Incidentally, it was only in the early 70s that Vasco brought in Peter Thangraj, a former Olympian, as the club''s first coach.

Andrew and brigade were a determined lot, who played for the love of the game. "Money did not matter to us. We only wanted to play and excel. In fact, we forgot what breakfast was. But after every match, we would have a party - win or lose - this was when the late B. M. Parkkot took over the club," he adds.

He always felt that, besides those who attained great heights in Goan soccer during the 60s and 70s, there were many others who could have achieved the goal, but could not succeed because politics and partiality prevailed in Indian football.

"I remember an incident when I was traveling with a group of probables from Bombay to Calcutta for the national camp. A couple of players told me that they were already selected and that they would feature in the first eleven. I was quite amazed at the revelation, but that was exactly what happened and I was named as one of the reserves. How on earth could one know of his selection ahead of the camp?" asks Andrew.

Although he scored many goals during his playing days,Andrew kept track of none, for statistics were not his cup of tea.

With a shooting prowess matched by few, Andrew always rated Benzinho Fernandes who played for Railways in the early sixties, Salgaocar''s Subhashchandra Sinari and of course his own teammate, Avinder Singh who came in his way as the finest goalkeepers.

As Andrew puts it, "Benzie was the best. He had a huge body-frame and guarded all angles to perfection. Prior to liberation, I remember him playing for Goa XI against Karachi Port Trust from Pakistan, where he put up a brilliant display."

"Subhash was very agile, and had the ability to dive at the striker''s feet. He was quite acrobatic. Avinder on the other hand displayed good anticipation and would position himself perfectly. He never gave me the chance to shoot at him."

All his performances are dear to Andrew, but the one that he holds closest to his heart is the match Vasco played against Taj Club of Iran way back in 1972 during the DCM tournament in Delhi.

In his mind he did a lot of thinking, to score. "Football mind game. It is all here," he says pointing his right ir finger to his head.

Visitacao began his career way back in 1962-63, donnning colours for Asitos Saldanha, while studying at Sacred Heart High School, Parra, Bardez. Visitacao attracted attention. People believed that this was not an average footballer, but a talent that could do Goa proud. After serving Asitos Saldanha for two seasons, his services were availed by the famous Benefica Football Club.

Although he did score around 17 goals that season for Benefica; his honeymoon did not last long. Sesa Goa lured him with a job.

"On taking up football, I just could not concentrate on studies. Whatever spare time I had was devoted to football. As a result of which I failed my exams twice.This forced me to drop out of school and my brother also pressurised me to look for a suitable job so that I could take care of myself. Around this time, Sesa was interested in me as a player and offered me a job. I did not think twice and took up the offer in 1966," recollects Goa''s first international.

And since 1966, Visitacao served Sesa Goa and continues
till date with the company, though he enjoyed a brief stint with Salgaocar Sports Club in 1970-71.

When Visitacao joined Sesa Goa, the team was languishing in the second division and Visitacao''s unmatched scoring prowess pushed Sesa into the First Division, taking on the might of Salgaocar Sports Club and Dempo Sports Club.

Sesa Goa''s and Visitacao''s dream run continued in the first division. Visitacao-led Sesa Goa, sans a coach, emerged as the champions in the State First Division League.

Visitacao finally hung up his boots in 1983, after 20 glorious years of football. His retirement was not because his legs were giving way, but because of the Sesa Goa management''s decision. "I could have continued but the management thought otherwise," Visitacao revealed with a sense of disappointment.

Visitacao got his first break to represent Goa at the Senior National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy in 1968, at Bangalore and since then, for almost a decade, he was a regular member of the State team, having represented the State at the Assam, Cochin, Madras, Punjab, Calicut and the 1972 Goa nationals. However, Visitacao admits he cannot recollect details of his performances at every national championship.

But the hat-trick he notched up at the 1969 Assam nationals in Goa''s 7-1 thrashing of Kerala is well registered in his mind. "Though I played for just half an hour I scored four goals in a row. I had a fitness problem during that tour as I could not stomach the food there, which made me weak and unable to play the full 90 minutes.

His memorable performance at the Assam nationals soon caught the eye of the national selectors who selected him to represent India at the Goodwill Tour to Russia in 1970, thus making him Goa''s first international. "I cried with joy that day. It was always my dream to represent India."

Visitacao has bitter memories of the 1972 nationals in Goa when his mind was in disarray to play football. Visitacao, who had just returned from Russia after being Goa''s first international, says he was heavily tipped to captain the squad but the honours were conferred upon George Rosemond. This upset him and he just could not play to his optimum. "I prayed that the players would not release the ball to me, as I could not handle the situation. I fumbled with the ball. The captaincy conundrum kept haunting me," confessed Visitacao, who was named Rosemond''s deputy.

Scoring came so easily to Visitacao that he does not remember a single season wherein he did not score above 10 goals. "I vividly remember scoring 30 goals in 1967, which

included five hat-tricks. I also emerged as the highest scorer of the league," he says.

Sadly, after his Goodwill Tour to Russia with the Indian team, Visitacao could not represent India for a second time. He went to the India selection camp for the pre-Olympic qualifiers, but a mysterious illness prevented him from representing India

again.

Recollects Visitacao: "After having our lunch, Henry Britto, Succoro Coutinho, Ramesh Redkar and I, with other teammates from Goa ventured out to have sugarcane juice. And hardly had I walked for a few metres, I felt unbearable pain in my right knee. I just could not move further. This forced me out of the selection trials and the subsequent international.

Visitacao was rushed to Goa and his mysterious injury got healed without any special treatment. Visitacao represented Sesa Goa, when, thanks to his heroics, it emerged runners-up in the Bandodkar Gold Cup football tournament.

Visitacao continued to make waves in Indian football and Mahindra and Mahindra tempted him with an offer, but Visitacao was afraid to venture out of the State. The thought that he would be out of the State and far away from home gave him a creepy feeling.

Visitacao was the second recipient of the State''s highest Sports Award - Bakshi Bahaddar livbadada Kerkar Award – in 1973-74. He would have been the first to receive the award as Goa Football Association (GFA) had proposed his name but late Chief Minister, Dayanand Bandodkar, who had a fascination for football suggested Bernard Pereira should get the honour. Visitacao was also unfortunate not to receive the award at the ceremony due to a communication failure. "I did not get the intimation copy of the award. And with no document in hand to prove that I was chosen for the award, the Sesa Goa management refused to release me forcing me to run to the post office and get the certification. I then presented the letter
to my management who released me. I rushed home, got. dressed for the occasion and proceeded to the venue. But to my utter disappointment, the function had already been concluded," recounts Visitacao.

Francis unknowingly approached the game professionally. "I was told that I could survive as a player only if my performance was good. Therefore I used to always analyse my football while training or after a match and be very critical of myself," he recalls.

It was Sampat Kumar, Dempo''s goalkeeper, who after one particular Rovers Cup match gave him this advice. "After that I think it became a part of my career to analyse my game and devise ways to correct ill shortcomings and mistakes. had been a personal coach I myself," Francis said. This pai dividends to Francis, wh discovered that hi performances had improve and that he was producin results.

Today Francis is a qualified coach, employed by Sport Authority of India to trai. children in football and is also a qualified referee. Francis wa different from his colleagues as far as football was concerned He did what he felt was best for him. He lives for football am from football.

"I thought that I would take up to refereeing. But there Wi!! a lot of criticism and not many players were in favour of it Maybe because a referees'' job is a thankless one and a blundel can cause irreparable damage to his image. But I had to start somewhere," Francis disclosed.

Francis comes from a football loving family. Two of his brothers, Melwyn and Roland D''Souza, well-known referees, influenced him to take up refereeing.

Francis began playing football as a young lad for his ward, in his village Saligao, before he was ten. He joined Don Bosco High School, Panjim, as a boarder when he was eleven.

During his boarding school days, he used to practice football in the evening, when boarders broke off from their routine for sports. He was first noticed during the inter-class competitions.

When in Standard VII, he scored a hat trick in an earlier
round and a goal in the final playing barefoot.

Francis was selected by school coach and physical trainer Domnic, who asked him to train with shoes which initially were uncomfortable but he had no choice. By the time he was twelve, Francis had played for the Don Bosco School under-17 team in the All India Subroto Mukherjee championship in 1971 and 1972, after the school had emerged the State champions.

Francis scored his first national goal at the 1971 Subroto against Delhi Public School, a very memorable moment for him.

He used to play in the wings in the orthodox 4-2-4 system, changing flanks regularly to get into striking positions.

Francis, now a 16-year-old, was already captaining the school team in the under -19 tournament. He had by then matured after three years of Subroto experience.

Unfortunately for Francis, at that time there were no Junior Nationals and though the Sub-Junior Nationals had just been launched, Goa did not participate in the initial years.

Simultaneously, while studying and playing for his school, Francis got the opportunity to play for Don Bosco Oratory, a Second Division team which contained senior players like. Isidore and Armando. Although he was the juniormost player, Francis featured among the first eleven.

Subsequently in 1973-1974, his last year of school, Senior Divisioners Panvel Sports Club, the most glamourous team at the time, approached Francis with an offer. It was none other than present secretary of Dempo Sport Club, Anthony Bothelho, who picked up Francis for Panvel. Though Don Bosco Oratory were promoted to the Senior Division at the same time, Francis opted for Panvel Sports Club.

His stint with Panvel Sports Club, where he made a mark, lasted only for a year before he joined Dempo Sports Club, his dream team in 1975.

But that year, Panvel, riding the crest, brushed aside all challenges and devoured all major ''oumaments in their path including the Bandodkar Gold Cup Trophy beating Sesa Goa 2¬0, in the 1974 finals.

Francis was in the thick of goals for Panvel scoring against all Senior Division Bombay teams like Orkay, Mafatlal, Tatas and those of Goa like Dempo and Salgaocar at the police grounds. "I had been maintaining my scoring rate at that time although Panvel fared poorly in the League," recalls Francis.

Meanwhile, Dempo Sports Club offered Francis Rs. 400 per month, besides other perks. Francis had built up an attachment for Dempo when as a schoolboy he watched the team train at the Don Bosco grounds and became acquainted with all the players. And, naturally, though he received offers from Sesa Goa, Salgaocar and Vasco Sports Club, he walked into the Dempo team. Besides Francis, Rosario was the other player from Panvel to join Dempo. Nicholas came in from Sesa Goa. Dempo, looking good and badly starved of an outstation victory, wrote history when they became the first ever Goan team to win the Rovers Cup beating Tata Sports Club 1-0 in the final. Francis was brought down in the box, when he was about to shoot a goal. The referee, Alex Vaz, without any hesitation awarded a penalty kick. Dempo''s William made no plistake to register Dempo''s historic victory.

This was a very memorable day for Francis as it motivated his career a long way.

In the same year Dempo shared the honours with Orkay for the Stafford Cup and reached the final of the Bandodkar Gold Trophy but lost to Vasco 1-3. However the following year, 1976, Dempo won the Bandodkar Trophy beating Leaders Club, Punjab, outright, 3-0. All three goals came off the boots of Francis. This was his and Bandodkar Trophy''s first ever hat-trick since its inception.

Francis, determined to showcase his football and market it, did not tie-up his football with a job in the Dempo organisation. He had never, until joining Dempo, thought of making football his career. "The idea did not occur to me while playing for Panvel as football offered me nothing. At that time I was pursuing my graduation. Only with the success in my first year with Dempo did I realise the importance of a football career," says Francis.

By then, Francis was already football news in the country. The Calcutta teams made offers to him when he was in Bombay for the Rovers Cup. He decided to wait and concentrate on his. football, with the aim of playing for the country because it was

a known fact that only national players were respected in Calcutta. In 1976 Francis got his first international break and donned the colours for India, when it participated in the Marah Halim Cup in Indonesia and in 1977 he played for India at the Afghan Jassan Celebration Cup tournament at Kabul. He also donned the India colours in international exhibition matches at the Goodwill tour of the Gulf against UAE, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain in 1979. In 1978, Francis played for India at the Asian games in Bangkok.

In 1977 Mohun Bagan approached Francis and he decided to join them after they agreed to pay Rs. 75,000 for the full season with all facilities including four to five air tickets to Goa.

Mysteriously, his transfer to Mohun Bagan was never cleared and this kept Francis out of competitive football for ten months. But this did not deter Francis who took this as a challenge and instead maintained his fitness and skills with his own training programme in Saligao.

Francis then re-joined Dempo''s in 1978, this time with an
increase in his fee to Rs. 1,200 per month. He was a member of the Goa squad for the Santosh Trophy at Srinagar, that year. Francis was top scorer with goals in every match aggregating eight from five matches. Goa lost to Bengal 0-1 in a controversial final. In the finals, Francis scored a goal but the linesman from Madras flagged an offside and disallowed the goal. "There was
a long ball from our right half, in front of the penalty box. I noticed two Bengal defenders converging on the mid-air ball. Realising I could not get close to the ball, I withdrew myself a couple of metres back from them. Eventually as I expected, both the defenders clashed and the ball rebounded to me. I sent in a shot that beat the defenders as well as the goalkeeper Bhaskar Ganguly. But it was quite surprising and unfortunate that the linesman declared me offside, when there were at least two defenders in front of me. Otherwise the Santosh Trophy would have been in Goa in 1978 and we would not have had to wait till 1983 and 1984 to bring it to''Goa," recalls Francis who was regarded as one of the most intelligent and thinking strikers in the country.

The controversial decision led to protests by the Goan players and the public began pelting stones, besides entering the ground. Play was held up. The match continued with the
entire Goan team demoralised and psychologically hurt. After the match most of the Goan players wept at having been deprived of a victory.

Mohun Bagan, impressed with his showing at the
Srinagar Nationals, decided that Francis was the man t needed. Francis signed a two-year contract with Bagan they paid him 80 per cent advance of the newly negotiated of Rs. 83,000 per season. His earlier experience had no adv psychological effect on Francis, who, as Goa''s first professi player worked himself into the market and was not goir under-sell his football.

Says Francis, "I found the offer quite tempting compared to the money I was getting from Dempo. I was told that I would not flourish in Calcutta. But I took it as a challenge. Being ar the top players would help me gauge my skills. I was
very confident that I could compete in Calcutta against all odds.

After playing for Goa and India I wanted to play for one of the top clubs in the country, which is an achievement by itself. since they gave me the offer, they considered me as one ( best in the country. I did pretty well in the beginning. I scored the fastest goal in the Federation Cup in Calcutta, 17 seconds , from start of play, against none other than Salgaocar Sports Club with Brahmanand, one of the best goalkeepers of the country, under the bar."

In 1984 Francis applied for a transfer back to Goa and joined Dempo again, ignoring an offer from Salgaocar. He was then selected for the State squad participating in the Santosh Trophy at Madras.

Goa eventually created history winning the Santosh Trophy outright that year, beating Punjab 1-0 in the finals. Ironically, in the previous year, 1983, Francis played for Bengal

against Goa in the Santosh Trophy finals at Calcutta, which ended in a tie. Both the States shared the honours, Goa keeping the trophy for the first six months. "Of course there were lots of demands playing against your own State. But I played my

best for Bengal. I think credit should also go to Goa for performing well in Calcutta against Bengal," says Francis.

On his return from Calcutta, Francis was surprised to learn that Goan Clubs had also begun paying the players well. "Dempo were offering me a job which I refused and so they agreed to pay me Rs, 65000 for the season in 1984, and I thought that it

Francis spoke highly of Andrew D''Souza and said he was the greatest Goan striker he witnessed during his days. (See story on Andrew). As far as defenders were concerned Francis regarded Nicholas Pereira as the most difficult to get past. Though, he said, there were other good defenders like Ambrose, Chathunni and Henry Britto (see story), but they played before his time.

Francis pointed out that Nicholas'' reading of the game, his anticipation and positional play were very good. He would extinguish any danger at a very early stage. Though he speaks highly of Brahmanand and Sudhir, Francis regarded Avinder as the most difficult goalkeeper to beat. "I think there are a lot of differences in rating Avinder Singh and Brahmanand. Avinder Singh was not much of a showman, though very
aggressive, and could guard the goal with very little effort due to his technical abilities. Brahmanand was more acrobatic and flashier like Sudhir but between the two, getting past Brahmanand was more difficult. Another gre!lt goalkeeper was
Sinari. He would psyche out opponent forwards with his positional play and body language. He was courageous enough to dive at the feet of a player," says Francis.

As far as grounds were concerned, he said that the best ground in his days was the Mohun Bagan Athletic Club ground at the Calcutta Maidan. The surface was very nice and soft and was covered with alot of turf, which did not strain the body. In Goa, Francis played on the Bandodkar ground in Panjim, the MCC ground and Rajendra Prasad stadium, Margao and Duler in Mapusa.

"I think the modern players are very lucky, playing on good surfaces which helps the performance immensely. During our days due to rough grounds, the bounce of the ball was irregular and unpredictable. Besides we had a psychological fear of injury. Today the defenders have an extra bit of advantage of going in for slide tackles without that fear. However, there are professional teams who spend a lot of money on players .but do not have good grounds which is very essential. I think it should be mandatory for clubs to have their own grounds because surfaces playa very important role in the performance of the team."

Francis'' biggest regret was his only unprofessional act due to which he broke his arm, while playing in an inter-village tournament for Saligao in Anjuna at the peak of his professional career. Because of this injury, the National Selectors ignored him for the Indian squad that played in the 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi. "It was a very unfortunate day for me, the only time I was unprofessional and I think it is a lesson for all aspiring footballers. You should take utmost care when you are talented and have a career before you. You are worth your talent. If you are not totally fit at all times it is your folly," said Francis as a message to the budding footballers in the State.

Speaking of the future of Goan football, Francis, I said that though the Youth Development Programme could be very productive, it all depends on how professional our Goan footballers get. "Only if our talented children decide to take up football as a career, then Goan football will blossom. Now that Goa has gone professional in football, the parents understand what their children can earn through football and are encouraging their children to go in for football without neglecting studies totally," said Francis, who knows best as a SAI coach, training kids at Monte de Guirim School.

Brahmanand Shankhwalkar: Excellence exemplified

Brahmanand in his playing career, from 1970 to 1995, has been capped as national property more often than any other footballer in the country, thus finding an entry into the Limca Book of Records for his excellence in the sport.

Spotted by one of Goa''s great football administrators, the late Dr. Alvaro Remigio Pinto, Brahmanand under the benevolent doctor''s tutelage, rose to become the greatest goalkeeper inl the country.

Besides his record number of caps for India, he has created a record for not conceding a goal for 576 minutes in the nationall championship, when he represented Goa in 17 editions I Brahmanand played in the Senior Division League for 25 years.He has several awards to his credit, and besides the Arjuna he is also the recipient the Bakshi Bahaddar Jivbadada Kerkar award the highest honour paid by the State'' recognition of his goalkeeping abilities.A very impressive record indeed!

As a child, Brahmanand preferred play table tennis and cricket, rather than football, unaware that it was this game that would launch him into the international arena. But it was Dr. Remigio Pinto, from Taleigaoi Tiswadi Taluka, as was Brahmanand, who was first noticed the talent in the boy. Dr. Pinto with the acquiescence of Brahmanand’s father Seguna Camotim Sancoa1car and support from elder brother Vallabh, encouraged Brahmanand to take the game seriously. They guided him in the technil aspects and boosted his confidence. Exercises were specifically designed to keep Brahmanand agile while he work towards improving his concentration. Brahmanand was destined to keep goal. His parents might have offered hin football as one of his first gifts but it was Dr. Pinto who to, that ball and cemented a career for Brahmanand.

Going down memory lane Brahmanand recalls that he had in fact not started as a goalkeeper. "It was Dr. Pinto who motivated me to take up goalkeeping. Incidentally one day I was asked to keep goal for a team whose regular goalkeeper failed to turn up. I performed exceptionally well in that match and since then, with the blessings of Dr. Pinto, there was no looking back," Brahmanand disclosed nostalgically.

Until then, as a student of Progress High School, Panjim, Brahmanand played for his school football team, though not as a goalkeeper.

The lanky Brahmanand who is presently the Assistant Stadium Manager at the Nehru stadium, Fatorda, got his first break in competitive football at the age of 15 in 1971. Anthony Botelho, present secretary ''of Dempo Sports Club, who was then in-charge of the then glamour team, Panvel Sports Club, requested Brahmanand''s elder brother, Vallabh, himself a Panvel player, to get a goalkeeper, for the team''s News Year''s day feast match at Saligao, as both the Panvel goalkeepers were not available. Although Vallabh himself did not turn up to play, he sent Brahmanand.

In fact Brahmanand, who was not yet out of school, got so excited about actually playing for a First Division team, that he turned up at the Panjim ferry point in his school uniform, a pair of boots wrapped up in a newspaper and his theli (school bag) in hand. "Botelho was surprised to see me in that attire. I was very slim and tall at that time and I used my brother''s boots for the match, since I didn''t have a pair of my own." Although Panvel lost that match 2-1, Brahmanand impressed one and all and was registered for Panvel the next morning.

His performance in the first league match against Goa Shipyard was above par, with Pan vel nmning out shock 6-3 winners.

That performance established Brahmanand''s position in Panvel Sports Club. He continued serving Panvel Sports Club for three years, until 1974. In his last year with Panvel he captained the team to their first ever victory in the Bandodkar Gold Trophy, beating Sesa Goa 2-0 in the final and subsequently led the team to win the State''s Senior Division League title.

During his innings with Panvel, Brahmanand simultaneously burnt the midnight oil, catching up with his academics to complete his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dempo College of Commerce and Economics.

Brahmanand, tall and handsome and by now famous, became the centre of attention in college. "In the campus, all .I did was talk football with my colleagues. Everything else seemed secondary to me," he recalls. Of late, he is upset that the fervour and competitiveness of earlier days is missing in modern inter-college tournaments.

Thanks to Brahmanand''s pyrotechnics under the bar, Dempo College was crowned champions for the 1971-72 and 1972-73 season while ending as runners-up in the 1973-74 academic year.

In 1973, Brahmanand had made his debut at the Nationals, when he was with Panvel, donning Goa''s colours for the Santosh Trophy. In 1974, he got the opportunity to join Salgaocar Sports Club, currently India''s number one team. During his association with Salgaocar, for 17 glorious years, Brahmanand shot not only into national limelight but also grew in international stature.

A year after signing up with Salgaocar, Brahmanand emerged as India''s number one junior goal keeper and donned the nation''s colours for his first international appearance at the 17th Asian Youth Championship, Kuwait, in 1975. His tremendous form prompted Coach Arun Ghosh to prefer his services to that of Biswajit Das.

This established him as one of India''s best prospects in goalkeeping. He followed it up with another junior international appearance, the 19th Asian Youth Championship at Bangkok.

The same year Salgaocar went on to win the TFA Shield and the Nizam Gold Cup, Hyderabad. The defending champions, however, ended runners-up the next year in both the tournaments.

In 1977 Brahmanand graduated into the senior National team, as expected, and stood guard under the Indian bar thereafter for an incredible 13 years. His first international match as a senior player of the country was the Jasson Celebration Cup tournament, Kabul, Afghanistan.

His other international caps are as follows:

1977: Goodwill Tour, at Lusaka; President''s Cup, Seoul, South Korea; Kings Cup, Bangalore.

1979: International exhibition match in Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain against UAE and Bahrain.

1980: Pre-Olympic tournament, at Singapore, Exhibition match against Indonesia at Jakarta.

1982:President''s Cup, Seoul, Merdeka Cup, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IX Asian Games, New Delhi,Exhibition match against USSR at Delhi.

1984:Great Wall Cup, at Beijing, China, Asia Cup, at Singapore and Calcutta.

1985:Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Cup at Cochin.

1986:Nehru Gold Cup, at Trivandrum, exhibition matches at Volvograd against Rotar Club of USSR, exhibition matches against Facel Club, at Verenox;exhibition match against Posco Club, Korea and tenth Asian Games at Pusan.

1988:Exhibition matches against Posco, Korea at Panjim and Margao.

1989:Exhibition matches against Posco, Korea at Margao and Asian Club Cup championship, Muscat.

In 1990 he toured with Salgaocar Sports Club for the Asian Club Cup Championship, at Dhaka, Bangladesh, after the team had emerged as India''s champion club.

Brahmanand by far had the most international appearances than any footballer in the country marking a very illustrious career.

Brahmanand had to wait until 1983, before he was handed the responsibility to captain the National team. His first assignment as captain of the team was the Nehru Gold Cup, at Cochin. An exhibition match against Facel Club, USSR, at Cochip. followed by pre-Olympic qualifiers at New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Singapor~ the same year. Thereafter he led India to the Super Soccer tournament, against Bochum Eleven, of Germany, at Delhi and Bangalore in 1986.

Brahamanand made his debut for Goa in the National Championship''s (Santosh Trophy) 1973 edition. He represented the State for a record 16 editions of the Santosh Trophy, including an unbroken run from 1973 to 1980 and later from 1983 to 1989.

Brahmanand still vividly remembers the day when he led Goa at the 1983 Nationals where it emerged joint winners with West Bengal, then India''s top Football State. Brahmanand''s performance that year served notice that Goa was emerging as a football force to reckon with in the country. As if to underscore the point, Brahmanand led Goa to an outright win in 1984 with a 1-0 win against Punjab in the final.

"We had tears of joy rolling down our cheeks. Goa wrote history when it won the nationals for the first time. This was my greatest moment. However we were all disappointed that we could not put it through to the Bengalis, earlier in 1983, when it appeared to be a close possibility. However hard we tried we just could not break the deadlock," Brahmanand revealed.

Goa''s historic victory at Jabalpurin 1984, through a great strike from Camilo Gonsalves, was credited to captain Brahmanand. He came through unscathed without conceding a single goal in the entire championship, which was a remarkable record.

Barring a few National Championships, Brahmanand served his State proudly during his entire career. In 1981, Brahmanand suffered a major setback that almost put his career in jeopardy. He broke his hand while training in a preparation camp withl the India team for the Asian Games.

He was ruled out of competitive footballfor quite sometime because as a goalkeeper his hand had to be strong enough to withstand the impact of shots. Brahmanand considered this as one of the most disappointing moments of his life since he was anxiously looking forward to representing India at the games.

Thereafter in 1990 and 1991, the Santosh Trophy format was changed by the All India Football Federation, which reduced the championship to an under-23 event andl Brahmanand was obviously ruled out. Brahmanand returned I to the national scene and was in the thick of action in 1993 and 1994, though he tasted limited success.

Over the years, Brahmanand ended up on the podium as a winner and runner-up at important tournaments with Salgaocar Sports Club. These include winning the Bandodkar Gold Trophy (1981,1988), TFA Shield (1979,1982), Nehru Cup (1985), Rovers Cup in 1990 and as runners-up in 1985, Federation Cup in 1988 and 1989 and as runners-up in 1987 and 1990, Sait Nagjee Memorial tournament, Calicut in 1987, and as runners-up in 1985 and 1988 and as runners up in Puttaya Memorial Tournament in Bangalore.

Having served Salgaocar Sports Club for seventeen years, Brahmanand shocked his fans when he joined Churchill Brother!

Sports Club in 1991, towards the fag end of his career. But he: played a vital role in steering Churchill Bros. up the ranks."

When he signed for them, the team was placed at the bottom of the Senior Division League. In the next couple of years Churchill Bros. moved into the fifth position and later progressed to settle in the second position. In 1994, his last year with Churchill Bros., they had come very close to being crowned the champion club of Goa, but a better goal difference by Salgaocar Sports Club, saw Churchill Bros. retaining the second position. They also won the Naya Duniya football tournament, at Indore in 1992-93.

And in 1995, the 25th year of his playing career he made his last appearance in the State senior division league, donning colours for little-known Anderson Marine Sports Club, a team from Sancoale, his ancestral village.

Brahmanand was widely respected and feared by his opponents in the field. But among the strikers who he feared most was Albino Fernandes. He says: "There were occasions when I recovered my confidence very late by which time Albino had already done the damage. He was an exceptional striker and his teammate, Visitacao Lobo, fed him with intelligent passes. His burly physique helped him nip aside defenders and his shots were powerful and accurate."

Brahmanand had not enough words to praise Dr. Remigio Pinto. "I owe my career to him. Dr Pinto was a great man. He literally dragged me into practice sessions. He took special care of me. As we were neighbours, many times he would desert patients in his house-cum-clinic, and devote his attention to me. Once he came to my place in the morning while I was still asleep. Jostling me out of sleep, Dr. Pinto had started demonstrating about a particular football technique when a relative of a patient entered my house to remind him that patients were left unattended for almost an hour," recollects Brahmanand nostalgically. Dr. Pinto used to inspire Brahmanand with books, pictures and newspaper cuttings of all the best goalkeepers in the world. Brahmanand used the open space in front of St. Michael Church, Taleigao, during his leisure time. "I devoted all the free time for my personal training, even in the afternoons under the scorching sun. Only hard work and practice sessions will help a player to improve his skills," he emphasised.

In fact, Brahmanand used to attend Dempo Sports Club practice sessions even though he was donning colours for Panvel. Brahmanand also holds Anthony Botelho in high esteem. "Botelho told me not to join Dempo in my own interest, since that could have led to my stagnation," Brahmanand, who was to sign up for Dempo in the 1973-74 season, recalled. Dempo Sports Club, under coach Rathnam, had, in their ranks, the indomitable Sampat along with Eugenio Cardozo under the bar. "Both Botelho and Levino Dias rushed to my place early in the morning on the day of signing and requested me to see the futility of joining Dempo Sports Club. I realised that signing for Dempo at that point of time was not going to benefit me as I would have to wait on the sidelines for my chance. Dempo already had two established goalkeepers in their ranks and they were not going to risk fielding a young and inexperienced keeper," Brahmanand recalls.

Botelho''s advice influenced his decision to continue with Panvel and was given the honour to lead the Panvel team which fielded football legends like FrancIs D''Souza, Alex Miranda, Dionisio Trindade and John Coutinho.

Brahmanand believes that good goalkeepers in the State are few and far between because they lack dedication and hard work. "They expect success to knock at their doors. Success and hard work are complimentary and not substitutes. Goalkeeping is not an easy job. It requires consistency. Coaches are also equally responsible, as after one bad match, the goalkeeper is rested for the subsequent encounter which badly affects the keeper''s confidence," he says.

Mauricio: Midfield genius

He hung up his boots after having served the State and the nation for more than 18 years with engrossing football.

State team that brought to Goan soil, the Santosh Trophy, for the first time ever -- the year when Goa shared the trophy with Bengal, as joint winners. Mauricio was also member of the Goa squad the following year, 1983, when they repeated history, but this time were selfish, bringing home prestigious trophy with an outright victory. "We defeated Punjab 2-1, and one of the goals was mine," says a proud Mauricio, recollecting the camivallike celebrations that followed in Goa, after the victory.

From a student of Don Bosco High School, Chinchinim to a member of the Indian football team, Mauricio has come a long way.

Mauricio owes his football career to his mother, who despite his poor performance in academics, never debarred him from pursuing football.

Another person that comes to Mauricio''s mind is his physical trainer at school, Cajetan Rodrigues, popularly known as "Shanne", who encouraged and guided him, through the ABCs of the game.

In 1976-77, Mauricio switched over from his village team, CRC Chinchinim, to Salcete Football Club, as his village lacked football coaching facilities.

"There was no coach in my village and I was left with no other option but to move over to Salcete F. C.," said Mauricio, who admits that, during his time, there were no such thing ''as youth development programmes to tap talent at the grassroots level while agreeing that an academy could have moulded him into a far better player.

However, such drawbacks did not deter him from pursuing his goal. Mauricio was quick to realise that Sa1cete F. C. was not his cup of football and began looking at wider horizons, in quest of success. Hard work paid and he soon. received an offer from Salgaocar Sports Club in 1981-82. While playing for Salgaocars, Mauricio trained under the tutelage of coach Shanmugham.

Mauricio soon opted for Dempo and stayed with them for the next 15 years, playing alongside other greats like Armando Colaco, Nicholas Pereira, Francis D''Souza, Alex Miranda, to name a few. "I was lucky to have been coached by greats like Shanmugham from Salgaocars, Joseph Rathnam from Dempo and then later P. K. Banerjee and Ciric Milovan while I played for India."

Mauricio got his first national breakthrough, when he was selected to attend the 1983 national camp in Delhi. The Indian squad was selected for the Goodwill tour to Russia and the second string team was selected to represent India at the President Cup held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. "It was at this time that Ciric Milovan had come to India. Impressed by my perfonnance, he selected me for the second team," he says, Mauricio''s performance in Dhaka, cemented his position in the Indian team and he became a regular member of the Indian squad from 1983 to 89.

Boosted by Mauricio''s exploits, Salgaocar beat East Bengal to win the 1982 Federation Cup in Calicut. He also played a stellar role in the half line of Goa''s 1982 and 1983 squads, controlling and supporting the strikers, besides falling back to help the defence, to win the Santosh trophy.

These victories put Goa on India''s football map. "Those days," recollects Mauricio, "most footballers played the game for the love of it, as there were hardly any monetary benefits.Perhaps the only concession that the players received in my time was job security which was considered the biggest incentive. There was a lot of dedication and commitment on the part of the players,then.

But Mauricio has no regrets for having missing the bus of professional football. "I did not get enough money but I love football and I am content with whatever football has given to me. The present lot of players are making good money, no doubt: It is their turn now and they are being paid for their talent," he disclosed.

Mauricio has taken to coaching and has successfully completed his AFC C license coaching course. His wish is to serve the sport he so dearly loves.

Unlike foreigners such as Danny Maclennan, who took to coaching at the age of 19, when at the peak of his playing career, former Goan footballers have mostly shown scant interest in this vital component of the game.

However, the mild natured Mauricio, is quick to defend his colleagues. "During our time we were all amateur players, our security being job offers in companies like Dempos and Salgaocars. So they could not opt for coaching as they had office work to attend to. Coaching is a full time job with lots of responsibility. Job security was, in those days, important for the survival of players, after they were finished with football."

Having decided to take a plunge into coaching, Mauricio now plans to undergo a one year NIS coaching diploma course at Patiala.

In his long association with football that stretched close to two decades, Mauricio stood witness to the changing face of the game. "There is no dearth of talent today but I do feel that the old players were more skillful. Unlike the players in our time, the present set of footballers prefer to stay upfront and score," Mauricio pointed out.

He also added that the present crop of footballers are exposed to a lot of facilities, which were unfortunately not available during his days.

However, unmindful of the ''behind the curtain politics'', within the football system, Mauricio went on to create a niche for himself in the annals of Indian football. "I took the pressure in my stride and used to concentrate only on my practice, following whatever my coach asked me to do," says Mauricio insisting simultaneously that every coach, he worked under, was responsible for his success.

However, Ciric Milovan is one man who occupies a special place in Mauricio''s heart. "Ciric was very good. He used to stress on total football and took personal initiative in all the players and ironed out our shortcomings by personally venturing on the field and correcting us. He inspired us to perform better."

According to Mauricio, Indian footballers need a lot of international exposure, if the standard of the game in the country is to improve. "A nation like Brazil starts preparing for the World Cup, about two years in advance. We should also follow suit," stresses Mauricio.

"You have to introduce skillful training in every department, be it kicking or heading at an early stage. Such skills cannot be taught once a player has already developed a particular style of his own," he added.

Perhaps what has marred the development of football at the national level, is the strong club culture, with all the major competitions like the National League, the Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, Federation Cup etc. being club tournaments. The trend has directly affected the national team with national players playing for different clubs, under different coaches, with the lure of good money. Thus when they come together to play for the country they cannot find the right combination, as the national camp is held for just a couple of months.

Mauricio feels that national players should be declared National property and must be given very good facilities including good money. "The problem is that the money is where the clubs are and therefore the leading players play extensively for the clubs. Further, the football calendar should be fixed in such a way that players get enough time to recuperate from one exhaustive competition to another," says Mauricio.

His 15-year-old association with Dempo has seen the club rise as one of the most formidable teams in the nation. Mauricio, while refusing to comment on the fortunes of Dempo Sports Club, however admitted that the shortage of local players is due to the decline in the inter-village tournament.

"The Goan clubs who have gone professional, sign up foreigners as there are no quality Goan players around," says Mauricio.

Mauricio blamed the media squarely for the pitiable state of football in the country, "The media, unfortunately, lays all emphasis on cricket. StarS ports initially did justice to football by airing live telecast of all the football matches in the inaugural year of the national League, which proved to be a great incentive to the game. But then it was abruptly discontinued without any sound reason".

This 5 foot 4 inch footballer''s importance to Salgaocar Sports Club is akin to Ronaldo and Brazil. The Bruno factor has become psychological. This was evident in the 1998-99 National Football League and the South Asian Football Federation championship held at the Fatorda stadium, where every time Bruno had the ball at his feet, the crowd began to roar in the stands.

Bruno Coutinho had a natural talent for sports and excelled not only in football but also at hockey, kho-kho and athletics while studying at St. Anthony''s High School, Guirim, one of Goa''s top schools famous for sports. But it was only when Bruno was picked for the Monte de Guirim squad, which qualified, from Goa for the National Subroto Mukherjee tournament, the country''s top school tournament, in 1986, that he decided that football and he were meant for each other and took it very seriously. It was at this juncture that 14-year-old, Bruno felt he had the material to make it big in football.

His performance stood out at the Subroto in Delhi and he was duly selected to represent the Indian school squad at the World School Games at Brunei.

Bruno had instantly caught the attention of every football fan and official in the State. He was keenly watched and monitored by the top clubs in the State.

He continued to excel at the State school level and had the ability to turn the tide in favour of his school team almost single-handedly.

At the age of 16 he made an entry into the National scene, representing Goa at the Sub-Junior National Championship, at Palghat. So profoun was his performance that the National ,selectors just could not afford to ignore him. In 1988, he was in the Indian team traveling to Bangkok for the Sub-Junior''s international football championship. Bruno frequently made media headlines with his performance. He got his first opening in top level football in the State, through Dempo Engineering in 1988. In the 1988-89 season that followed, Bruno transferred to Salgaocar Sports Club which won the Federation Cup at Coimbatore, the Rovers Cup in Mumbai and the Taca Goa the same year. In 1989, he was a member of the Salgaocar squad that toured Muscat for the Asian Club Cup Championship. That year he had the honour to don the colours, of his country at the senior level. Though he was a junior, at " onl y 19 years he played for the India senior team in the President''s Cup, at Dhaka. He also played for India Juniors against Russia Juniors at Kovalam and Uttar Pradesh. Later that year Bruno joined Dempo Sports Club. There was a misunderstanding during the transfer period, which he says, was unfortunate and so after a season with Dempo, he returned to Salgaocar Sports Club, for whom he has been playing for over a decade now. During that year Bruno captained the Goa Team which won the Santosh Trophy on home ground.

Bruno''s return to Salgaocar in 1991 proved to be a good omen, as it was in this year that he first captained India in the Asian Group B pre-Olympic qualifiers, at Hyderabad. Later, he captained India to its first gold medal in the South Asian Federation (SAF) Games at Madras, in 1995. He also captained India at the Asia Cup, at Kuala Lumpur in 1996 and the Nehru Gold Cup tournament, at Cochin.

At the inaugural edition of the South Asian Football Federation championship held at Katmandu in 1997-98, India stamped its class as the superior football nation in the region under the leadership of Bruno. He confmned that this victory was no fluke when he led India, once again, to a victory in the South Asian Football Federation region''s official championship, held this time in his own beloved State, Goa, in 1999. Bruno''s victory for India at the SAFF championship came as a reminder to the national selectors that they could not afford to ignore him. Months before he gave India the SAFF title for the second time, establishing India as a football power in the region, he was unceremoniously dropped from the national squad for the 1998 Asian Games, at Bangkok, Thailand. This is Bruno''s greatest disappointment in his footballing career. "My dream was to play for India at the Asiad. I was looking forward to Bangkok Asian Games but I was disappointed. I am not growing younger and my chances for the next Asiad will definitely be slim," Bruno had told Herald Publication''s sports magazine SPORTSWatch. He had argued that he had performed much better than his State colleagues who were selected for the Indian squad, going by his performance in the State League prior to the Asiad. Bruno has rich international experience. He was a member of the national squad for the Nehru Gold Cup, at Trivandrum (1991), the Super Soccer tournament against PSV, Eindhoven (1992), the Goodwill Tour to Tanzania (1992), the pre-World Cup qualifiers, at Lebanon, Seoul (1993), the SAF Games, at Sri Lanka (1993), the Nehru Gold Cup, at Calcutta (1995), the SAARC Cup, in Sri Lanka, (1995), the Goodwill Tour to Iraq (1996), the pre-World Cup Qualifiers, at Doha, Qatar (1996), the SAFF Championship, at Katmandu (1997-98) and SAFF Championship in Goa (1999).

He donned the colours of his own State for the Santosh Trophy from 1989-1999, the Guwahati nationals being his first. Since then he has done State duty at Goa (1990), Palghat (1991), Coimbatore (1992), Cochin (1993), Cuttack(1994), Madras (1995), Goa (1996) and Guwahati (1998).

A powerful striker of the ball, Bruno''s goals rained from every angle of the ground and his strikes were absolute killers. He used his left leg with equal intensity as his right and caught his opponents many times on the wrong foot.

One cannot forget his stunning international goal at the World Cup qualifier at Doha, Qatar in 1996, against Philippines. He suddenly unleashed a powerful kick from the top of the box as he was moving goal ward. That strike beat the entire Philippine defence and goalkeeper who despite stretching fully had - no chance. That spontaneous shot evoked a tremendous response from the enthusiastic Qatar crowd and Bruno was their hero, having given them good value for money with his fine goal.

But his most memorable performance was the goal he scored, incidentally the first golden goal in India - at the Federation Cup finals against East Bengal at Salt Lake stadium in Calcutta, 1997, before a massive crowd of over 120,000 boisterous Calcuttans packed in the stands. Bruno opened the account for Salgaocar in the first half and East Bengal equalised on the stroke of half time. The second half was scoreless and the game went into the golden goal period. Bruno''s shot came from the right comer at the 18-yard box after he had received a brilliant pass from Savio Medeira. The strike was like a flash of lightening. East Bengal''s imported goalkeeper Abulitsacouldn''t judge either the pace or the spin on it and went through the motions of clutching air. One hundred and twenty thousand throats went silent at Salt Lake Stadium that day!

Shooting is Bruno''s passion. He owes his shooting ability to his school coach Salu, ex-Sesa player. "As a school boy, Monte-de-Guirim coach Salu used to put us through a lot of training in shooting. It was here that I developed my shooting. In the beginning, I found my shots lacking accuracy. So I began target practicing by visualising a goalpost and shooting. In the beginning one out of three shots was on target. After some hard work I found that three out of five were on target. This helped me to shoot accurately," Bruno said.

In the late 80''s Bruno and Roy Barreto formed a deadly combination in the Salgaocar attack and later for India. But Roy''s pre-mature departure from football, to settle in the United States, left Bruno in the Indian team, without his favourite attacking partner. Bruno, an angling addict, says Goan youth now have all the facilities in football, including a youth development programme and a great deal of money for which

one has to work very hard, and this includes undergoing personal training, so as to remain in the market. Very few players are able to maintain themselves in the market and personal training pays off. There should be a strong commitment to be the best. "We need more academies, which are a must. That will explain why our strikers lack in the skill of accurate heading and shooting with both feet," he said.

Rocky Barretto: Star on the horizon

Young and highly skillful Rocky Baretto is the player to watch in the near future. The 20-year-old talented Rocky will, most probably, be the morning star on the football horizon, shining for Goa for the next decade or so. At the 1999- 2000 4th National Football League, Rocky Baretto, was simply the best mid- fielder in action. Coming from a financially very poor background, Rocky became an orphan at the age of 12 years,losing both his parents to illness and has grown up the tough way with the additional burden of taking care of his younger brother. Rocky, who has felt the pangs of hunger, understands that nothing comes on a platter and knows that hard work and determination is the only way to achieve goals in life.

Recalling his days of struggle, Rocky says that he frequently borrowed tennis shoes from his friends. Such was his life that he was unsure from where his next meal would come from. "I dread poverty. It''s the worst thing that can afflict someone. However, God has given me a talent. Football has saved me and hopefully will continue to do so," says Rocky.

Hailing from Borda, Margao, Rocky has a younger brother, George, who also plays football, currently for Salcete Football Club. After having completed schooling at St. Joseph High School, Margao, Rocky joined the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel. It was here that he got very serious about football. His coach I. B. Negi put him through the grind, teaching him the finer aspects of the game. Under his guidance, Rocky began to show a lot of promise. He caught the attention of the prestigious Tata Football Academy selectors, who while in Goa scouting for talent, picked up Rocky, from the SAI Hostel in 1993.

At the Tata Football Academy, Rocky was joined by another Goan SAI protege, Mahesh Gawali. Both were admitted to the prestigious Jamshedpur-based academy together.

At the Tata Football Academy, Rocky honed his natural skills and concentrated on polishing his technique. The training here was very scientific and his diet was balanced and monitored. In 1996 TFA sent the boys to Germany to playa series of exhibition matches with German teams. Rocky scored a goal against a local club there. That goal is deeply etched in his mind and he treasures it a lot, being his first on foreign soil. Rocky firmly believes that Indian football needs international exposure and is confident that the quality of Indian football will improve.

In Germany, Rocky''s skills were noticed by Germany''s Bayer Leverkusen coach Martin Siet Bert, who was a constant source of encouragement to him. Bert polished Rocky''s rough edges and prepared him to be mentally tough. Rocky owes a lot to the German. After he completed his training at the Tata Football Academy, Rocky received offers from Calcutta giants - Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. He however chose to sign up for Football Club of Kochi and played for the Kerala Club for two seasons, 1997-98 and 1998-1999.

In the year 1998, Rocky Baretto was selected to play for India at the Under-19 Youth Soccer Championship, in Thailand where he scored a goal against Kuwait. Rocky impressed the India team''s Technical Director, Prasanta Kumar Banerjee, who was present for a Mohun Bagan versus F. C. Kochin match at Salt Lake stadium. Reportedly, PK was impressed with Rocky''s performance and he was summoned for the India camp. He also represented the country in pre-Olympics qualifying round.

He goes for the ball, as ifhis very life depends on it. However with 14 international caps, he is still to be considered as a permanent member of the Indian squad.

He returned home to Goa, after signing up with Churchill

Brothers for the 1999-2000 season and will continue with Churchill Brothers for the 2000-2001 season.

After the conclusion of the 1999-2000 National League, Rocky was flooded with tempting offers from India''s leading clubs - Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mahindra and Mahindra and India''s first professional club F. C. Kochin Sports Limited.

Despite these offers, Rocky has preferred Churchill Brothers, atleast for the 2000- 2001 season, till he makes up his mind on his next step. The reasons being compulsions in his personal life. "None of our relatives have helped us. If! leave Goa, my brother will have to fend for himself. I think it is my obligation to be by his side and support him atleast for another year," Rocky disclosed.

Infact, Rocky might be signing up an international deal, the next season. If the deal goes through, Rocky will be the first Goan player, to seek an international transfer, in the history of Goan football.

"In all probability, I should be playing in the Uzbekistan league, next season. I want to play football abroad. Infact, the deal could have materialised this year (2000) itself, but as I said, my brother needs me here. By next season, everything will fall in place," Rocky disclosed.

The people negotiating the deal, are his own colleagues, Churchill Brothers'' strikers, Andriy Malchevsky and Mykola Schevenko from Uzbekistan. "Baretto is too good a player to be in India," Andriy had once mentioned during a practice session. Though the club Rocky would ultimately don colours for in Uzbekistan is not known, Tashkent Tractors (Mykola dons colours for the club) is learnt to be top on his list. Mykola and Andriy are believed to have already held discussions with the club management in this direction.

"Rocky is a class player and certainly an asset for Indian football," Mahindra and Mahindra''s coach-cum-manager Harish Rao, had said after his team beat Churchill Brothers in Goa, in a National league fixture. "I spent two days devising a strategy to contain him. That player is just unstoppable," confessed Rao. Having achieved so much at the age of 20, Rocky has no chip on his shoulders. His humility makes him a darling of the crowd. "I just take things one day at a time," he says.

Rocky who is always seen as danger, when he is in possession of the ball, has today become a role model for the kids in his neighbourhood. Rocky''s presence has influenced the kids to take to football. "They intend making a name for themselves and possibly money from football. If Rocky can do it why not us, they seem to say," says Rocky.

Rocky is a fan of Argentina''s superstar Diego Maradona and holds Salgaocar''s sharpshooter Bruno Coutinho in high esteem. "I have a special place of pride for Bruno," says Rocky.

Rocky loves to dream. Because only if you dream, can you make it happen. It needs effort and determination to make dreams come true, feels Rocky.

The entire State of Goa will be happy if his dream to play abroad comes true.

BAKSHI BAHADAR JIVABADADA KERKAR AWARD

YEAR PLAYER CLUB

1972 Bernard Pereira Vasco

1974 Visitacao Lobo Sesa Goa

1975 Ramesh Redkar Dempo

1976 Nicholas Pereira Dempo

1977 Brahamanand Shankwalkar Salgaocar

1978 Succour Coutinho Dempo

1979 Rosario Menezes Salgaocar

1980 Jose Fernandes Vasco

1981 Ashok Fadte Sesa Goa

1982 Prakash Naik Dempo

1983 Rosario Rodricks Dempo

1985 Armando Colaco Dempo

1986 Dionisio Trinidade - Dempo

1987 Bento Andrew Salgaocar

1990 Herbert Sann Dempo

1992 Derrick Pereira Salgaocar

1993 Camilo Gonsalves Dempo

1994 Mauricio Afonso Dempo

1995 Mahesh Lotlikar Dempo