Of Village Feasts and Football Tournaments

Goa’s football story lies in its villages, as it’s the grassroots connect that has sustained the sport

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Feasts and football games are intrinsically linked in Goa. Nowhere is it better dramatised than at Raia on August 5, when the South Goa village celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Snow—an occasion that coincides with the cutting of the first corn in Goa.

The much-awaited feast brings its own joys—there’s the fair near the church and tiatr shows in the night, but an unmissable part of the day is the football match in the evening.

For more than half a century, this has been the tradition, as villagers, young and old, troop into the panchayat ground near the church to watch the final of the Custodio Memorial inter-village tournament. Even if one is not a fan of the sport, they will still register their attendance.

For the first time in 50 years, the ‘final’ could not be held this year due to a contentious protest that knocked out the organisers, Raia Sporting Club. But football could not be avoided. So, instead of a final, an exhibition match was played between the hosts and neighbouring Don Bosco Oratory, Fatorda, to maintain the tradition.

“Inter-village tournaments have kept Goan football alive at the grassroots,” says Alberto Colaco, former secretary of the Goa Football Association and general secretary of All India Football Federation (AIFF). “There is a strong connect between such tournaments, players and the village. It’s backed by the panchayat, local politicians and almost anyone who can contribute. Even during the worst of times for Goan football, this is what keeps the sport going.”

Then there is the small matter of rivalry between villages that makes such games hard to miss.

For instance, Candolim in North Goa cannot see eye to eye with Calangute. Curtorim and Maina are sworn enemies, while Chinchinim-Navelim and Raia-Curtorim see fierce battles to this day on the field.

“Many inter-village tournaments are timed in such a manner that the finals coincide with the village feast. Almost everyone comes for the love of football, or their village, but there is an added attraction of a housie prize during every match. The housie prize for the final is almost equivalent to the winners’ purse,” says Patwin Fizardo, President of Guirdolim Sports Club.

The GFA has 182 registered clubs across the state, most of whom conduct inter-village tournaments of their own.

In 2019-20, the last year before Covid-19 pandemic brought sporting activities to a halt, close to 60 tournaments were held, many of them timing their finals with the village feast day.

The first recorded instance of a club organising a tournament that involved several village teams and ran uninterrupted for years is the Johnny Memorial Shield in Vasco.

The tournament was first organised by Patrong Sports Club in 1966 with the village teams of Betalbatim, Bogmalo, Cansaulim, Raia and Cortalim among the 21 participants.

Over the years, inter-village football turned into such a rage that it once attracted the biggest name in world football, Bobby Moore, captain of the only England team to have won the FIFA World Cup.

England’s talisman during the sixties, Moore was holidaying in south Goa in October 1988, when he was requested to turn up as the chief guest for the Gold Silver Trophy in Navelim. No wonder, Moore’s presence delighted the spectators, many of whom had heard or read of greats such as Pele and Franz Beckenbauer label him as the best defender they had ever seen.

“There is a lot of pride involved in inter-village football,” says Welvin Menezes, president of Goa Velha Sports Club. “In many villages, the local club’s success is all that matters, not the big teams that many support watching only on television.”

In Goa Velha, the procession of saints that sees local devotees carry life size statues of 31 saints is the most famous event. And the next best is the London Trophy football tournament held a day later.

In neighbouring Santa Cruz and Merces, football has seen better days, notably in the eighties and nineties when floodlight matches were permitted and people stayed awake late in the night to see their favourite players in action.

The GFA later banned such tournaments since matches kicked off late and finished beyond midnight, affecting the health and performance of players.

“Inter-village football is a good concept, but I regret making the rules,” says Antonio Botelho, former GFA secretary, who drafted the rules in 1974. “Players don’t represent their villages and migrate to other clubs, referees get beaten up.”

Despite Botelho’s fears, inter-village football is here to stay.


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