Thaindian News

By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar
Panaji, June 20 (IANS) Legendary Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama would be a proud man if only he could come back from beyond to Goa’s shores once again, with the erstwhile Portuguese colony in the throes of World Cup football fever these days.

Like in the case of most World Cup and European Cup tournaments before 2010, Goa has painted itself red and green, the colours of the Portuguese national football team.

Thousands of fans, both lithe athletic youngsters and generously pot bellied, beer swilling mavericks, flaunt Cristiano Ronaldo-style football jerseys with equal ease.

So why does Goa still root for Portugal, which is not really a top football team - despite the solitary presence of Ronaldo in the team now and Luis Figo in the past - in the presence of teams like Brazil, Argentina and Spain?

“Everywhere you go, you can see the Portuguese influence - in our houses, in our lifestyle, in our dancing, in our music, cuisine - why should football be any different?” asks back Savio Messias, secretary of the Goa Football Association (GFA).

He supports Portugal but is also a diehard fan of the Argentinean gentle-genius Lionel Messi.

There are others like Titus Cruz, who breathlessly gush and swear by the Portugal team, which does have several talented players like Deco, Simao, Ricardo Carvalho and Maniche, apart from Ronaldo.

“Viva Portugal. Portugal has the greatest players, they rock!” Titus screams.

Brandon Fernandes, a 16-year-old rising football star from Goa who has been chosen by a South African football academy for a two-year-long training workshop, also picks Portugal as his favourite football team. But then Brandon also appears to have learnt the art of playing it safe and adds Brazil to his list of favourites.

“My favourite teams are Portugal and Brazil,” he tells IANS.

The patrons and football fans will probably be served fried and curried frog legs (illegally, of course) in the numerous nondescript bars and taverns spread across rural Goa to be munched along with beer, as they watch football matches relayed live on television.

Entrepreneurs like Vito Gomes are trying to cash in on the football frenzy by telecasting it on big screens along with other live entertainment modules, for a fee of course.

“There are also a lot of people who don’t play the sport, yet are ardent fans of the game. During the World Cup, hordes of football fans sporting jerseys of their favourite teams go out to restaurants, pubs and match screenings to catch their teams battle it out on the football field. A majority of Goans support Portugal which can be attributed to the Portuguese influence on our past,” Gomes said.

Portuguese dictators may have colonised and ruled Goa with an iron fist for more than 400 years, but centuries of ill-will is forgiven, especially while watching a sublime swirling free-kick by Ronaldo, curling the jabulani ball past the outstretched hand of a rival goalkeeper, brushing the underside of the cross bar and kissing the net!

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in)