MERCES: Former India skipper Bruno Coutinho led his Calangute Veterans to an emphatic 4-0 win against Viva North to clinch the Pogo Boys Cup 2021 All-Goa seven-a-side 50+ Veterans Football Tournament that concluded at the Merces Church ground on Tuesday.
With some of the best players from yesteryears in their ranks, it was the Calangute Veterans who controlled proceedings from the start even as Viva North struggled to assert themselves.
Rightly enough, the Calangute side took the lead early through Rafiq Bepari and Allwyn Fernandes immediately doubled the score before half-time.
Comfortable in their possession through most of the encounter, Calangute put the issue beyond doubt when Augusto Lobo’s shot deflected off a defender early in the second half, while Mohan Parab completed the rout towards the end. The eighth edition of the seven-a-side inter-ward football tournament and the 50+ Veterans Football Tournament was organised by Pogo Boys.
Organised by Pogo Boys Gaunchem Bhat, Merces in collaboration with Goa Veterans Football Club (GVFC), the tournament had attracted a total of 12 veterans’ teams from across Goa.
In the inter-ward final played later, Voilem Bhat fought their way back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Gaunchem Bhat 4-3 in the tie-breaker.
Tony Fernandes, MLA, Santa Cruz was the chief guest along with Francis Silveira, MLA, San Andre and social worker Zenito Cardozo.
They were joined by Fr Remedios Britto Furtado, Parish Priest of Merces along with Fr Arnaldo Pinho, Assistant Parish Priest, social worker Siddesh Sripad Naik and Zilla Panchayat Chimbel member Girish Uskaikar, and others.
Bruno leads Calangute Veterans to triumph
