WhenTanisha Crasto participates at the forthcoming Olympic Games to beheld in Paris from 26 July – 11 August 2024, she will become the24thGoan player to represent India at the Olympics. The Goan shuttleralong with her partner Ashwini Ponnappa will participate in women'sdoubles event in badminton. A total of 117 athletes (70 – Male and47 - Female) will represent India in 16 disciplines at these gamesand 21-year old Tanisha will be the only Goan among them.
Overthe years, athletes of Goan-origin have been part of gold medalwinning hockey teams and have also won medal in other disciplinessuch as tennis at the Olympic Games. Apart from hockey and tennis,Goan athletes have also participated in football, athletics andbadminton at the Olympics.
PeterPaul Fernandes was the first Goan to represent India at the Olympics.Peter who played as a forward, was part of the 1936 Berlin Olympicsgold medal winning hockey team. He was a descendant of a Goan familywho had migrated to Karachi.
During1948 London Olympic Games, a record number of five players from Goarepresented India at the Olympics Games. Walter de Sousa, LawrieFernandes, Leo Pinto, Reginald Rodrigues and Maxie Vaz were part ofthe gold medal winning men’s hockey team during that Olympics. LeoPinto who was part of that squad was once considered as the ‘BestGoalkeeper in the World’. After his playing days, Leo became acoach and then a member of the national selection panel that pickedthe bronze winning hockey team at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
Atthe 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Goa’s Lavy Pinto reached thesemi-finals of men’s 100m race. It was the first and only instancewhere in an Indian athlete had reached the semi-finals of men’s100m at the Olympic Games. Infact, Lavy was crowned the ‘FastestMan in Asia’ after he had won gold at the 1951 Asian Games in NewDelhi.
Duringthat Olympics, another Goan Mary D'Souza Sequeira became India'sfirst female Olympian. She competed in women’s' 100m and 200m.Infact, Mary held the Asian record in both 100m and 200m in 1956. Shewas awarded the Dhyan Chand award in 2013 by President of India –Pranab Mukherjee.
At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Goanfootballer Neville D’Souza from Assagao, scored a hat-trick
against Australia in the quarter-final.Neville became the first and only Asian player to score a
hat-trick at the Olympic Games, a recordheld till date. He finished the campaign as joint top-scorer of the tournament with four goals. TheIndian football team narrowly missed out winning a historic medal during that Olympics as theyfinished fourth.
During1960 Rome Olympics, Goa’s Fortunato Franco from Colvale representedIndia in football. It was the last time India had qualified infootball at the Olympic Games.
Atthe 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Goa’s Anthony Francis Coutinho representedthe Indian team in 4x100m men’s relay, which reached thesemi-finals. Another Goan Stephanie D’Souza participated in women’s400m race. Stephanie was the lone female member in Indian contingentduring that Olumpics. At one point, she held the national records in100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.
During1972 Munich Olympics, Vece Paes (father of Leander Paes) was part ofthe bronze medal winning men’s hockey team. Another Goan EdwardSequeira from Arpora participated in the men’s 5000m race. Sequeiraeven held the national records in 1500m and 5000m in his career.
Atthe 1980 Moscow Olympics, Mervyn Fernandes was part of the gold medalwinning men’s hockey team. Mervyn also represented India in twomore Olympics – 1984 and 1988. Also, during the Moscow Olympics,four Goan girls - Eliza Nelson, Selma D'Silva, Lorraine Fernandes andMargaret Toscano – were part of the women’s hockey team whichfinished fourth. Infact, under Eliza’s captaincy, India won gold atthe 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.
During1984 Los Angeles Olympics, apart from Mervyn, Goa’s JoaquimCarvalho and Marcellus Gomes were also part of the men’s hockeyteam which finished fifth. Carvalho also served as captain and coachof the Indian hockey team.
Atthe 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Goa’s Darryl D’Souza representedIndia in men’s hockey.
During1996 Atlanta Olympics, Leander Paes from Assolna won a historic medalin men’s tennis singles event. It was has been India’s only medalin tennis at the Olympic Games till date.
Although,all these sportspersons may not be ‘home-grown’ Goan athletes,they definitely trace their roots to Goa. While some of them wereborn in Goa, others have lived in Goa at some point or other. It’stime to remember these ‘forgotten heroes’ and celebrate theirachievements in the Olympic arena.
