MAPUSA: The job of a goalkeeper is often a thankless one. Just a single mistake and all the outstanding saves are conveniently forgotten sometimes, especially if it alone could mar the outcome. Fortunately, that does not apply to Soma Korgaonkar of Chapora Yuvak Sangh, who has done exceptionally well in his team’s progress in many inter-village tournaments across the state of Goa. But the icing of the cake came as his team earned a promotion to First Division League in 2023-24 season. It was a very special moment for him as he was the team’s captain.
Soma’s brilliance under the bar has earned him the reputation of “safe pair of hands”.
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Soma participated in the first Nationals in 2010 at Jabalpur where the team secured the runners-up place at the All-India level event. In 2013, he was appointed as assistant coach of Goa University’s men’s football team at Udaipur. A year later, he rose to become its manager in Gwalior
and in 2018 played the role of manager of the Under-19 football team at 64th National School Games in Rajasthan.
Soma is a Physical Education teacher at Govt High School in Morlem and yet makes time for his daily practices in order to keep himself fit and also to improve upon his performance. He is a fitness fanatic.
Having been a regular face at inter-village tournaments, Soma has won many awards as the best goalkeeper. Yet, for Soma the best award was in 2022, at the Goa Police Cup, where he was the backbone of his team which made it to the finals and he received two awards – best goalkeeper and man-of-the match – even as his team lost to Sesa FA.
This season, Chapora had a tough campain in GFA’s Second Division League. He had the added responsibility as the skipper. They played 15 matches and he managed to keep twelve clean sheets. And, alongwith his teammates he could proudly take the credit for leading his team to the coveted GFA’s First Division.
Soma is workaholic. Just a week ago, he led his club to victory at Peddem Bomm Cup where he was awarded the best goalkeeper prize.
Soma does not like to rest on laurels and as such he makes no exception for his daily mantra of putting in rigorous hours of quality practice which he says is vital for achieving the tag of an acrobatic goalkeeper with a high degree of agility.
