22 Oct 2015 | 05:22am IST
Taking the ISL by the horns
Fans rally behind their team, but at times, having that extra ‘special someone’ on the pitch, someone who can rouse the fans voices to the rafters, just adds that extra dimension. Enter Gaurdinho, FC Goa’s very own special someone
Fernando Monte da Silva
The second season of the ISL has been one where FC Goa has had a more favourable start, when compared to last year. The team has performed well on the pitch, the fans are firmly behind the team (almost always) and the players seem to be in relatively high spirits with a string of good performances. But perhaps there is a catalyst to be accounted for. One must ask, what is different from last season to this? The answer is…
Gaurdinho.
The idea of the mascot and the blueprint surrounding it was conceptualised by The Football Dug Out (TFDO), a professional sports management company in Goa. Conrad Barreto, the group’s founder-member, launches into the story behind it, saying
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“We wanted to have a carnival type of rally for FC Goa. So along with a few other members of the group and close associates, Hillary Gomes and Varun Carvalho, the singer of the official anthem, discussions were held with FC Goa’s co-owner, and Dattaraj Salgaoncar’s son, Vikram. We discussed the concept at length, and they were very keen on being a part of the endeavour. After a lot of brainstorming, we came up with Gaurdinho; a combination of our state animal, the Gaur
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and Ronaldinho, who is considered a footballing legend in Brazil. As we have a lot of ‘samba boys’ in our squad, it seemed only natural.”
TFDO has been an integral part of the whole FC Goa experience right since the first edition of the ISL. Along with Varun Carvalho, they have been primarily responsible for a lot of the fan activation side of things for FC Goa. “We've played an integral part this season in empowering FC Goa through its fans. We have developed the official anthem and delivered the only mascot in the ISL, both of which have been a major hit among the masses. We have also organised two massive rallies through the towns and villages of North and South Goa; spreading the FC Goa wave which had an amazing response of people dressed in the team colours making their way to the parades in their vehicles that were decorated to reflect their passion for the team and all it stands for,” adds Conrad.
Gaurdinho was a unique concept, with no other team participating in the ISL having a mascot to boast of. The character was designed by Hillary Gomes who leads the Creative and IT Department of The Football Dug Out, before having the costume sent to be manufactured in Bangalore.
However, with the concept of things such as mascots, very often, the man behind the mask, and under the skin, remains forgotten. Not quite so in this case. Gaurav Phadte, who puts on his grey coloured attire, and marches out on to the field, does so with a sense of fulfilment and purpose. Chatting on his new adventure, he says
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“To be frank, being in this skin (the Gaurdinho outfit) makes me feel like a superhero. I've spent all my life trying to bring a smile to people’s faces. This particular job, of being the mascot elevates that desire to an altogether different level; be it at the stadium or the fan rallies. All I have to do is point at a random person and ‘wham’; you see them smiling. I've seen people go crazy looking at the mascot, they dance and make these faces; faces that everyone wants to see: happy faces. After a long and tiring week of work, to see people smile like that is just beautiful.”
Gaurav has had no training either, and his task is far from easy, but between him and the TFDO, the job gets done; and how! “I'm not a dancer but I watch videos on YouTube (some of which are absolutely crazy) to learn some moves in order to entertain the crowd. The costume is very heavy, and there's a lot of pressure on my head and I could slip and fall anytime, so a lot of care has to be taken, but thanks to the guys from TFDO, it’s been looked after. There is always someone around. I sweat a lot, and I sometimes find it hard to breathe. But then again, there's no glory without struggle. I’m loving the attention that I’m getting, and it's just beautiful to see things through that skin," he says.
So the next time you’re at an FC Goa game, look out for Gaurdinho, give him a little wave. Maybe he’ll do a little routine just for you. After all, he’s all about the fans.
