The Quitula Sports at Cultural Club at Aldona.
Since the past 50 years, the Quitula Sports & Cultural Club at Aldona has been uniting communities through sports and cultural events. As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Club, I have nostalgic reminiscences of the Club.
Quitula is endowed with one of the best football grounds in Goa, thanks to land granted by Communidade Fraternal de Aldona due to the efforts of Narcis De Sa.
In 1964, the Union Club of Quitula began functioning with an ad-hoc committee in the corridor of the Chapel of Our Lady of Piety, Quitula. The Club offered various sporting facilities including badminton, football, carom, throwball and volleyball. Local personalities along with African returnees showed great enthusiasm for a full-fledged Club House with indoor and outdoor facilities.
Soon, the aim was to have a clubhouse where youngsters could gather and conduct various activities. The Union Club of Quitula was changed to Quitula Sports Club on August 2, 1971, and the premises of Vishnu Dhond was taken on rent for recreational activities.
The club then functioned from the residence of Joao Xavier D’Souza which could accommodate facilities for table tennis, carom, cards, etc and social/cultural activities. However, efforts were afoot for our own spacious club with modern facilities.
On November 16, 1972, the Confraria of Our Lady of Piety of Quitula Chapel entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the Quitula Sports Club and 600 sq mtrs of land was identified to construct a Club House, close to the Quitula ground, the Chapel and Quitula mini-market.
Subsequently, Luis Caetan and Aurora D’Sa donated land (western side), while Austin and Alba Rodrigues donated land (eastern side), facilitating more space for the Club.
Architect Mohan Raikar prepared the plans, while RCC Consultant S Y Mandrekar and Engineer Francis Lobo, our member and well-wisher, prepared plans for a spacious and well-ventilated Club House. The foundation stone was laid by the then Director of Sports Dr Srimant Mali on October 2, 1974.
When funds were exhausted, appeals were made to members, our representatives in Bombay and people abroad. There were doubts whether Quitula would ever have such a project.
We met then law minister and vice-chairman of the State Council of Sports Pratapsingh Rane in the Secretariat. On seeing our predicament, and influenced by Sr Clementine, he directed us to Dr Mali, who, after scrutiny, sanctioned Rs 25,000 as an initial contribution from the State Council of Sports.
As construction was nearing completion, we came across various donors, chief among them being our own Quitlikar, Damiao Fernandes, who ran a business in Calcutta. He bore the expenses of the entire flooring of the Club.
The Club, complete in all respects, was inaugurated by Pratapsingh Rane and his wife Vijayadevi Rane on December 1, 1976.
The inaugural week consisted of state badminton games on the new indoor court, a volleyball match between our Club versus Saipem Sports Club, Candolim, a football match against Caranzalem Sports Club, table tennis games, a grand inaugural ball with Goa’s topmost beat group ‘The Reunion’ in attendance and an individual singing competition.
Such has been the success of the singing competition that to this day, we continue to conduct it annually on October 2, our Club's foundation day.
Every year, the Club conducts various activities, although the emphasis is laid on sports, particularly football, where our teams have won or participated in several all-Goa, inter-village and club tournaments.
In 2016, our Aldona Centre Goa Football Development Centre team, coached by Paixao Gomes and Sunder Raut, were crowned Champions of Goa after they defeated Quepem Centre at Tilak Maidan.
The Quitula Club has produced the most notable players like Bernard and Arthur Pereira, international players who represented the country several times. Jose Dias, Chagas Dias, Premanand Porob, Apolinario Pereira and Aaron Fernandes who have also played for top clubs of Goa.
Our players who represented the Goan Juniors football team are Lawrence Coelho, Marico Lobo, Shanu Halankar, Amar Halankar, Roland Coutinho and Aaron Fernandes.
For several years, the all-Goa ranking badminton tournament was held in our Club, while table tennis and carrom tournaments are also a regular feature in our Club. The Club has also organised all-Goa athletic meets for several years.
The Club is also at the forefront of social, educational and entertainment facilities. Hops and dances have been regular features. Magic shows, cooking demonstrations, handicraft competitions, educational talks, skits and plays, tiatrs and mandos have been held at the Club.
In 2015, the name of the Club was changed to Quitula Sports & Cultural Club. I applaud the leaders and committee members over these 50 years for shouldering the responsibilities assigned to them to conduct various activities for the benefit of the community. I wish Quitula Sports and Cultural Club tremendous success in the years to come.
