As soon as he was inducted as a Minister of State for Sports in the government led by Pratap Singh Rane, Francisco Monte Cruz, popularly known as Babush, was determined to make a lasting and significant contribution to sports in Goa. His well-wishers and advisors put forward the idea of building a stadium of international standards, as this would leave a lasting legacy.
Accepting the challenge, he focused his boundless energy on accomplishing this mammoth task. With the full support of the Chief Minister, Rane, he created the Sports Authority of Goa on the lines of the Sports Authority of India to shorten and overcome lengthy bureaucratic processes.
Armed with an assurance from the All India Football Federations, obtained through the good offices of the then AIFF Vice-President Vilas Sardessai that the next Nehru Cup, scheduled for January 1989, would be held in Goa subject to the timely completion of the stadium, he went about the work immediately. He used this commitment to persuade the government to get the required funds in a timely manner and to shorten the lengthy procedures involved in acquisition of additional land at Fatorda and moving the dwellings from the land already acquired by the Directorate of Sports.
From the day the foundation stone for the stadium was laid on the 30th May 1998, there were just little over six months left to complete the work. Knowing that any delay would put him and the Government of Goa in an embarrassing position, Monte Cruz practically camped at the venue spending close to 12 hours at the venue, monitoring each and every aspect of the construction work.
Even on the day his father expired and he could not be physically present at the ground, he kept himself updated with the progress of work.
Extremely confident and optimistic, he used his persuasive powers to get the work done. At the same time, he could be ruthless and uncompromising when he had to overcome obstacles that would delay the completion of the work.
His hard work and toil bore fruit and on 19th January, 1989 the magnificent stadium was inaugurated by the Vice-President of India, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, in the presence of a host of dignitaries. Immediately after the Stadium inauguration, the first match of the Nehru Cup International Football Tournament kicked off.
Besides realizing the dream and aspirations of Goan football fans, this magnificent stadium is even today the centrepiece of all major sporting events held in Goa. The PJN Stadium has hosted each and every major football event held in India as well as international Cricket matches and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Lusofonia Games and the recently held National Games.
Unfortunately, thanks to Goa’s strange politics, Monte Cruz was denied a ticket for the Goa Assembly elections preventing him from completing the minor works left behind and enjoying the fruits of his hard labour. Perhaps, his last function as the Minister of Sports was the commissioning of the floodlights during the final of the GFA TaÒ«a Goa between Salgaocar and Vasco SC just before the Assembly elections in May.
The only occasion when Monte Cruz came back to the stadium was on the day of the 1st Philips Super Cup match in March 1997. At the invitation of the Goa Football Association and the All-India Football Federation, Monte Cruz was presented a memento by the AIFF President the late P. R. Dasmunshi in the presence of the Chief Guest Ravi Naik, Vilas Sardessai and the GFA President Shivanand Salgaocar. As Monte Cruz’s name was announced and he walked to the dais the packed stadium rose as one and gave him a tumultuous ovation.
Those who succeeded him as Sports Ministers in Goa did very little to improve and even maintain the stadium. It was only just before the Lusofonia Games and the FIFA U-17 World Cup, that the late Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar took up the task of upgrading the PJN Stadium and creating new international standard sports infrastructure. The stadium underwent complete renovation and was upgraded to the exacting FIFA standards.
After 45 years and the dire predictions from his political opponents that the stadium would crumble within six months, this magnificent stadium stands proudly as a monument to his unmatched contribution to Goan Sports.
A few years back the Goa Assembly adopted a resolution to name one of the Stands after Francisco Monte Cruz. It appears that it has been forgotten. If not in his lifetime hopefully, the present Government will at least now, name either the main entrance or the main stand after Monte Cruz.
Whether this is done or not, the Goan football fraternity will never forget the colossal contribution made by Francisco Monte Cruz in realizing the dreams and aspirations of all Goans to have an international football stadium in Goa.
Rest in Peace, Babush. Dev Borem Korum.
(The writer is the ex General Secretary of GFA and General Secretary General of All India Football Federation and General Secretary of Goa Football Association)
