Mainly known for its beaches and party lifestyle (don’t forget the Fenny), Goa is a popular tourist destination in India. What many people get to know only after visiting the place, is the people's devotion to football.
Goa has risen to the status of a football powerhouse in India, challenging the might of West Bengal, which is considered the home of Indian football with teams like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
Considering Goa became a part of India after liberation from Portuguese rule in 1961, they have been quick to adopt a professional approach towards the growth and popularity of the sport at the grass root level. Dempo Sporting Club is a shining example of the rise of Goan football.
Dempo SC, a club based in Panjim, the capital of Goa, was formed in 1960. Dempo is Goa's first professional football club. In the last four years, Dempo SC has won the Indian League thrice ('05, '06, '08), and have also won the India Super Cup (‘08), the Durand Cup (‘06) and the Federation Cup (‘04).
Dempo is the only Indian club to make it to the semifinals of the AFC Cup, when it defeated Home United FC in the quarters of the current edition.
Dempo SC boasts of a star-studded starting line-up, with the newly signed Nigerian striker Chidi Edeh, Mahesh Gawli, Nicolau Borges, Climax Lawrence, and Samir Naik.
Nigerian striker Chidi Edeh scored 11 goals last season and a hat-trick in the Federation Cup. Mahesh Gawli is already branded as the finest defender India has shaped in current times and left winger Nicolau Borges is one of the most exciting players in the league.
Dempo SC was in the dumps at the beginning of the 1999-2000 season, after club legends like Mauricio Afonso and Camilo Gonsalves hung up their boots. Dempo was facing relegation and the owner, Mr. Srinivas Dempo, was considering disbanding the team.
In his own words, “You cannot be mediocre. Either you are among the top or not there at all.”
It was only the intense fan support which made him change his mind. With a reduced budget and an inexperienced line-up, things were set to go downhill for Dempo SC when former player Mr. Armando Colaco took charge of the club to lead them back to their best.
In his first year, the club failed to make it into the top division but eventually won promotion the following year by winning the second division league.
Dempo finished fourth in the NFL and followed it up with a second place finish just four points behind East Bengal. That was the sign of the rise of Dempo and they won their first NFL in 2004-05.
They won back-to-back league titles for the last two years.
“Colaco’s selection of overseas players and his method of handling them have been a key factor. The foreigners have gelled well with the local boys and that is our strength,” says goalkeeper Abhijit Mondal.
An incident that nearly left Coach Armando in shatters, and practically caused him to leave coaching, was the demise of star striker Cristiano Junior in 2004. The Brazilian footballer died on the field on December 5th, tragically leaving his heart and jersey behind in Goa. His death, caused by cardiac arrest, had left almost the whole of India in a gloom.
54 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete