When British priest Fr William Robert Lyons introduced the sport of football to Goa in 1883, he could not have foreseen it’s evolution into an integral part of Goan culture. There is no sport through which Goan athletes have distinguished themselves more at the national level than they have through football, no sport that the state holds more love for than the beautiful game.
Hailing from Siolim, late Ajit K Moye was
a prolific sports writer who contributed to various publications as their Goa
Sports correspondent, including Sports Week, and Goa Today in addition to
teaching economics at Shri Shantadurga Higher Secondary School, Bicholim. An
avid follower of football, Ajit befriended football players in Santa Cruz,
where his family relocated to, and studied football from various sports publications
and books. Eventually, his network expanded to include not only players, but
government authorities, industrialists, ministers and players of other sports
from across the country. In an effort to highlight the achievements of Goans in
Indian football, he authored the book, ‘Memorable Moments of Goan Soccer’ in
1994, but his sudden demise that year resulted in his work remaining
unpublished until recently, when his brother advocate Ashok KP Moye decided to
publish his brother’s work himself.
“This book is a form of remembrance for my brother,” says Ashok.
“My brother was a very simple person with a sober nature. He was a great lover
of the sport of football. He was a teacher of economics in Shantadurga Higher
Secondary School but loved the sport so much that he simultaneously worked as a
sports reporter. His work in his book has been unedited, it has been published
without adding or deleting a single word. I added a lengthy preface to the book
as I felt that I should write my own account of my brother’s life and career.
It is my tribute to him.”
Publishing the book was no easy task. In the years after his
brother’s death, Ashok had to balance his profession as legal advisor to LIC,
his part time lecturing position at SS Dempo College, Panjim and taking care of
his aging parents. “My brother took a lot of trouble to compile the book, the
cover, the illustrations and the pictures. He managed to collect all the
historic pictures included in the book by approaching many football clubs and
players. The book was initially printed by the Directorate of Sports. Thousands
of copies were made, but the then director of Sports refused to circulate the
book after my brother’s demise as it was printed on newspaper print. I was
unsatisfied with the quality of the print and decided to publish it in
remembrance of him. The government did not have copyright of the book, so I
obtained written permission to publish it. The delay in publishing the book was
because no one in Goa was interested. I approached, prominent players,
industrialists and publishing houses but no one wanted to publish my brother’s
book. My late wife Shivleela, who passed away during the pandemic in 2021,
suggested that I publish the book using my own money. I was sitting alone,
mourning after my wife’s passing when I remembered her wishes for publishing
the book. So I finally published the book, exclusively with my own money,
without taking any financial assistance from a third party. I printed and
circulated 800 copies of the book to institutions, newspapers and libraries
across the state. I spent over two lakhs of my own money but did not feel any
pinch because of it. I took great pleasure in doing the job, not purely out of
duty or for gaining publicity for myself and my late brother, but for his love
of the sport,” says Ashok.
The book itself covers the introduction of football to Goa, the
achievements of Goan footballers in the 20th century and prominent players and
officials. The book’s sections are complimented by an extensive collection of
black-and-white photographs. The photographs capture everything from the
line-ups of Goa’s national teams and local football clubs, felicitations and
award ceremonies, moments of action and triumph, as well as renowned
footballers and officials.
The background section of the book focuses on the entry of
football to the state and its development into the beloved sport that is today.
It describes how football has its root in villages, being played in paddy
fields and for village feast celebrations and talks about the contributions of
players like Lube, Dr Alvaro Remigio Pinto and Sheikh Aboo. The late Ajit Moye
includes several quotes from retired players in addition to the role played by
business houses in developing Goan football. A whole chapter of the book is
exclusively dedicated to Goa in the Nationals, including squad line-ups,
victories at the Santosh trophy and other cups as well the Goan players that
were part of the Indian football team over the decades.
The middle section of the book presents an in-depth look at the
history of iconic football clubs and their achievements from their inception
till the 1990’s. Reading about the rich history of teams like the Vasco Sports
Club, Dempo Sports Club, Salgaonkar Sports Club, Sesa Goa, Salcete Football
Club and MPT, gives the reader an opportunity to track the development and
evolution of Goan football and instills a sense of awe about how the country’s
smallest state spawned so many competitive clubs. The chapter dedicated to
prominent players and officials is the longest in the book for good reason.
Each player’s achievements, affiliation, abilities and memorable moments are
concisely presented while capturing the temperament of every featured player
and official. The conclusion of the book deals with future challenges to Goan
football and the role of the government while also sharing certain Goan
football facts.
This
labor of love comprehensively covers the history of Goan football over the last
century while detailing the distinguished presence of Goan footballers at the
national level. When asked about whether he thought someone should pick up the
history of Goan football from the 1990’s onwards, Ashok responded with an
emphatic “Yes, definitely!” For now, ‘Memorable Moments of Goan Soccer’ truly
serves as a detailed account of Goa’s football legacy.