December 22 marks the 66th anniversary of the Goa Football Association, a journey that has brought to the fore footballers, administrators and clubs. Prominent among them are three men who went on to be decorated for their stellar contributions to football in Goa. Armando Colaco in 2025 was conferred with the Dronacharya lifetime award, the only Goan to have achieved this feat. Armando should proudly reminisce his baptism in football with the Don Bosco Oratory where he played first as a medio. Who can forget the lanky Brahmanand Sankhwalkar the goalkeeper initially of Panvel Sports Club, who went on to become one of the longest serving Indian goalkeepers, and then being decorated first with the Arjuna award in 1997 and then with the Padma Shri in 2022 the only Goan footballer to have achieved this feat. Bruno Coutinho, an alumnus of St Anthony's Monte de Guirim began his career having scored three goals in the U-17 Subroto Mukherjee finals and then played a pivotal role for Salgaoncar Sports Club as also captaining India. In 2001, he was decorated with the Arjuna award. Young Goan footballers should draw inspiration from these three players.
