A child’s first step is always a very big moment. It is a moment which is recorded by parents. The first kick of a football is much cherished by parents in Goa especially fathers. It many a be a rather exaggerated statement to make but that could rather aptly state the importance of football in the state. Every father would like to see their child do well in life and yes if he or she would like to make a mark in sports, it better be in football.
Michael Viegas had similar dreams for his son Shanon Viegas when he was born. He dreamt that his son, a footballer, who would play with the best not just in Goa or in India but in the world. Shannon was set on the road towards professional football when he started learning to dribble at the age of seven. Papa Viegas said he took to the ball like a fish to water and would dribble the ball even at home. Shanon Viegas was first trained by Anju Albuquerque the Manager at the Sporting Clube de Goa and then trained by the coach at the Calangute Sports Club. At Don Bosco Panjim he was trained under Francis Raposo.
Speaking to Herald Café from Portugal, Shanon said he was pushed positively by his father. He said he would practise an hour and a half every day when he was growing up. The system in Goa in terms of tracking talent is pretty well oiled and he was snapped up by Sporting Club de Goa. His talent also caught the attention of the Indian talent spotters. He was selected for the U-16 national squad that faced off against Iran, Vietnam and Indonesia in the AFC Championship. It gave him an insight into the requirements of top-class football albeit at a junior level.
He then spent the next three years at the ALL India Football Federation Centre honing his skills and also coming down to play in the junior and senior teams of Sporting Club de Goa. By then he had also grown into his present height which is 6. 2 ft which added more weight t o him as a player. A midfielder, his father and his coach encouraged him to play in the left wing as well as a striker.
His father said he was not keen on his son spending too much time at the football centre, time which he felt could be spent better playing football in Europe. He said “I was very keen then to send him to Europe because I have a friend Elvis Goes who has an academy in Portugal. I wanted him to go there to improve his game. Thankfully he went and now he has been picked up by CD dos Olivais e Moscavide.” It is an amateur club in Portugal that participates in the regional league. The club, founded in 1912, is currently not part of the top three divisions of Portugal. The club is located in Lisbon. Michael Viegas looks at the road ahead and says “He has put in all those hours of practise and now he has to perform. This is a long road ahead and he will have to do it”.
Shanon Veigas said “ I feel good for signing a historical club which is situated right in Lisbon. My dad always wanted me to play in Europe and this is an opportunity for me to move forward and not letting my focus go astray, I was bought to the club by the coach of Moscavide from IFAPT and we will start our season in august. Sporting Club de Goa gave me a platform to perform and move forward from where I took off to the state team and then the youth national team where I improved and learnt a lot more about football. I’m going to test myself here and improve as much as possible with this exposure and go as far as possible for this game which I love, this is just the beginning of a long journey”. The left footer hopes to one day don the national colours of India as a midfielder.
He said “My favourite player is Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s icon super star and I hope to make a similar impact for my team and country someday”.
The one-time resident of Taliegao in Panjim, he hopes to make his mark in the world of football and perhaps show the world a glimpse of the talent present in Goa.
As he waits to play his his first game in Europe, he dreams that someday the stadium will shake to the sound of the crowds yelling his name as he celebrates after scoring a fabulous goal with the world is at his feet.
