MARGAO
Veteran players, officials, physical education teachers and administrators were among those who were felicitated for their outstanding work towards the promotion of sports by the Association for the Wellbeing of Elder Sportspersons (AWES) at BPS Sports Club, Margao, on Sunday.
The list of 36 veteran sports promoters who were felicitated during the annual get-together included several officials who produced internationals and helped Goa win medals at the National Championships.
“Every year, we at AWES, try and recognise the achievements of our sporting heroes, at a time when many may have forgotten. This year we gathered to celebrate our outstanding sports promoters, those who laid the foundation for Goa’s sporting success. Each of these individuals is special. They dedicated their time, passion, and expertise to nurture talent, instilling values, and shaping the future of many sportspersons,” said AWES president Derrick Pereira.
The awardees, all aged above 60, were from diverse sports. While football, as expected, topped the list, there were officials and administrators from hockey, boxing, yachting, table tennis, cycling, kho kho, kabaddi, mallakhamb, volleyball, basketball, taekwondo and archery.
“This is a wonderful gesture to recognise those who may have been forgotten. It would be nice for all those who have been felicitated to mentor young administrators because having good people at the helm of Goan sports is the need of the hour,” said Kennedy D’Silva, who quit his job as a preventive officer with Customs in Mumbai in the late eighties to take up sports administration.
Felicitated for his exemplary work, Kennedy was among those who spoke at the event, besides Fr Dominic Alvares (hockey), Pradeep Chodankar (football) and Raju Mangueshkar, general secretary of the Taekwondo Federation of India.
Goa Football Association (GFA) president Caitano Fernandes, Dempo SC president Shrinivas Dempo and FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur were among the special invitees. AWES mentor, Padma Shri Brahmanand Shankhwalkar, proposed the vote of thanks.
