A group of Goans passionate about Portugal. Right: A Goan team in Qatar.
They come from a tiny state in western India, live in Qatar and root for Portugal and Brazil in the World Cup.
Meet the Goans, whose passion and love for the “beautiful game” know no bounds.
The massive support for Portugal among Goans can be attributed to the common heritage they share with the Portuguese, who left Goa in 1961 after ruling it for more than 450 years. And Monday’s 4-0 loss suffered by Cristiano Ronaldo and his boys hasn’t dented the hopes and aspirations of the thousands of supporters the team has among the Goans of Qatar.
Members of the country’s 12,000-plus Goan community also love the Brazilians. This is not only due to the artistic brand of football played by Brazil but also because of a “shared culture, food, music and more”, say community members.
“Not a day goes by for most of us without discussing football at one level or the other,” said Simon D’Silva, Goan Welfare Association (GWA) president and an avid soccer fan, explaining the passion for football among Goans.
Javis Moreno, who is in his mid-20s, was raised in Qatar and is a diehard football fan. Despite having a busy office schedule, Moreno and his friends find time to practise football at a ground in the Al Bidda area on weekends.
“Though our team is Portugal, we don’t think they have much of a chance this time as they rely too much on one or two players. So, naturally, most of us tend to support Brazil, whose citizens and our people share the same culture, food, music and more,” said Moreno, who doesn’t miss any top-flight football match on television, whether it is the FIFA World Cup, European Championship, Confederations Cup or the English Premier League.
“Both Brazil and Portugal are our teams and we would be happy if either of them emerges victorious,” said one of Moreno’s friends, while preparing to watch a World Cup match at his house in the Old Airport area.
“Brazil is where our ancestral language, Portuguese, is spoken the most,” added D’Silva.
The GWA represented India with a team at the first Qatar amateur league, which was spread over six months and ended last month. “The local football officials have been really good to us and allotted our group a free practising facility at the Al Ahli grounds,” said D’Silva. The event was held under the patronage of Qatar Stars League/Qatar Football Association (QFA).
A few years ago, the GWA hosted a one-day tournament featuring Goan expatriates from across the Gulf region at the Al Ahli grounds, with the wholehearted support of the QFA.
Many former Indian and Goan state footballers currently living in different parts of the GCC flew in to Doha to represent the participating teams. Some of the top-level Indian players of yesteryears, including Franky Barreto and Orlando Vegas, also took part in the tournament.
The local Goan community also consists of several ex-players who have played for different clubs in their home state, prominent among them being Edson Fernandes, Flaviano Leitao and Milton Pimento.
“Many of us have been watching international football matches without fail since the time full live telecast of the World Cup started in India in 1986. It was a sheer coincidence as well as a matter of immense happiness for football lovers like me that the first match telecast in India that year featured our favourite team, Brazil,” recalled D’Silva. “Since then, most of us remain awake through the night to watch the World Cup matches,” he said, adding that he doesn’t remember if he has missed watching any World Cup match since his arrival in Qatar in the early ’90s.
This time, too, many Goans are glued to their television sets late in the evenings – like thousands of others in Doha - and their excitement peaks in matches featuring Brazil or Portugal. And who will they support in the event of a Brazil-Portugal clash? “Whoever plays the better game,” pat came the reply from Fernandes.
“Be it the FIFA World Cup or any other tournaments, we are always there to cheer for and experience top-level football,” said Moreno.
10% of Goans in Qatar are now Portugal citizens
Members of the Goan community in Doha said more than 10% of the total Goan population in Qatar has surrendered their Indian passports and are now citizens of Portugal.
“More are likely to move to Portugal, or the United Kingdom, in coming years,” said a senior member, requesting anonymity. Swindon, a London suburb, is referred to as “mini Goa” with thousands of former residents of the Indian state migrating to the place.
“Now that Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar has promised to pursue the issue of dual citizenship for those from Goa who have migrated to Portugal and other places, chances are that most aspirants for Portugal passports would be too happy to retain their Indian passports as well,” said another senior member of the community.
At present, many of these migrants, including some of Doha’s soccer-crazy Goans, possess Overseas Citizenship of
India cards.
“While most of us hold Indian passports, and we intend to keep doing so, many of our family members have migrated to Portugal, especially in the last decade, while some of our close relatives have also moved to Brazil after receiving the South American country’s citizenship in recent years,” said Simon D’Silva, president of the Goan Welfare Association.