AWES holds its annual get-together

Former Goan sports stars pose for a group photo with dignitaries.

Photo Credits: The Goan

MARGAO
Goa’s former sporting champions came together for an evening of fellowship and nostalgia during the AWES annual get-together and felicitation at the Sinquetim Sports Complex, Navelim, on Saturday.

Organised by the Association for the Wellbeing of Elder Sportspersons (AWES), the event was powered by Sesa-Vedanta.

The highlight of the evening was the felicitation of Armando Colaco, Goa’s first Dronacharya Award winner, and Digambar Kamat, Margao MLA and former chief minister, for his election to the World Aquatics Bureau, a first for a sports administrator from Goa. Kamat will have a four-year term as a member starting in July this year.

Marcus Mergulhao, sports editor of the Times of India Goa edition, was felicitated for winning the prestigious Press Council of India’s National Award for Journalism.

The evening saw several stars relive the good old days while being felicitated for their contribution to their respective sports. Vero Nunes and Subhash Pandit, Goa’s table tennis champions from the seventies and eighties, walked together while badminton saw three former champions – Rosephil Menezes, Michael D’Sa and Anil Madgavkar – coming together under one roof. There was also Goa’s first water polo international in Vishnu Mahale, volleyball coach-cum-player Avelino Pereira and sports promoter Dilip Salgaoncar.

'Goa ka Ghoda’ Bernard Pereira, Salgaocar stars Bento Endro, Oscar Rebello, Dempo defender David D'Souza, and coach Peter Valles were among the footballers who were felicitated.

Perpetua Jacques, Shripad Kundaikar (both athletics), Daniel Rodrigues, (volleyball), Jovito Lopes (administration/sports journalism), Tommy Menezes (hockey), Luis Fernandes (basketball), Milagres Tereza, Gregory Estrocio, Domingos Barreto and Fr Eremita Coutinho (all football officials) were also felicitated.

“Every year, we try and bring together our heroes. To see everyone under one roof fills our hearts with joy. At AWES, we just want to reiterate that our efforts to ensure that our former sportspersons live a life of dignity will continue,” AWES president Derrick Pereira, a former international footballer and coach, said in his welcome address.

Former footballers Lector Mascarenhas, Gokuldas Nagvekar and Salvador Fernandes (Salu) entertained the gathering with their songs.

The felicitations took place at the hands of Sports Minister Govind Gaude. Also present on the dais were Padma Shri Brahmanand Shankhwalkar, Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim, parish priest Fr Gabriel Coutinho, AWES vice president Avertano Furtado, former member of the Board of Directors at Sesa Group Amit Pradhan and former Vice President (Corporate Affairs) at Sesa A N Joshi.