Having excelled at hockey while at school and college in Goa, Michael Fernandes had to return to Kenya as his mother wanted him to acquire Kenyan citizenship.
“Having shifted back to Kenya in 1973, I decided not to peruse my studies anymore and took up a job in Mombasa. But I never left my hockey stick behind in India and continued to make good use of it once again. It was a game of field hockey that I loved very much among other sports of football, cricket, and tennis,” recalled Fernandes.
“In 1976, I trained very hard and was selected for the training camp in Nairobi to try and make it to the Olympic squad for the Montreal Olympic Games, only to be dropped out at the very last minute.”
“This broke my heart but being the determined and self-disciplined person I am, I continued to train even harder and the following year 1977, was selected to represent Kenya in the Inter Continental Cup in Rome.”
Fernandes went on to represent Kenya in several games among visiting countries like Pakistan, Egypt etc.
In early 1980, Fernandes was called upon to represent Kenya to tour Zimbabwe and Zambia, but had to decline the opportunity as his wife was due to have a baby.
“Thereafter, I called it a day from national duty but continued to play for the Mombasa Coast XI and captained the Goan Institute hockey team in Mombasa for nearly 25 years, playing competitive hockey in coastal and national tournaments.”
“I preferred playing in the centre-half position, but was a utility player and played in any position when called upon. Those were the good days when I was privileged to play hockey on grass turf with a white leather ball where I could boast of my dribbling skills with the old wooden made hockey sticks.”
After finally hanging up his hockey stick, Fernandes became a coach and coached the Goan Club and a few other teams in Mombasa. He also served in the management of hockey as secretary of the association for a few years.
Fernandes said he loved the sport and was very determined to give it all on the hockey field.
“I always wanted to captain a team and lead by example. I was prepared to face any challenge that came my way and tried to handle the situation to the best I could.”
“The self-discipline that I learned in boarding school at Guirim was the key to my success. At the end of the day, my motto was to achieve the highest level. Win or lose was taken in the spirit of the sport,” said Fernandes.
Fernandes said he is proud of his Goan identity.
“I was and will always be proud to be called a Goan. Our Goan culture and religious faith have had a lot to do with the way it shaped and influenced my life,” acknowledged Fernandes.
Asked for his advice to the young Goan sportspersons across the world, Fernandes said: “As a sportsperson, my advice to young and upcoming sportspersons of Goan origin is to develop self-discipline, and fitness in order to excel in any sport. Stay focused and aim high to achieve success and reach your goal.”
