The WORLD Alliance of GOAN OVERSEAS VILLAGES ASSOCIATIONS

GOAN ANCESTRY

2011-05-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

03/05/2011

Tracing Goan roots via DNA and ancient records
===================================

Panaji, May 3 (IANS) Where did the ancestors of today's Goans come from? Which routes did they take to arrive at this tourist paradise? A new book authored by a Switzerland-based Goan scientist answers these intriguing questions while searching for the roots of people from here.

Titled 'The Last Prabhu' and published by Goa,1556, the book is authored by 65-year-old Bernardo Elvino de Sousa who traces his roots to the village of Aldona in Goa along coastal western India.

Sousa, who has worked as a scientist for three-and-a-half decades in the chemical industry, says today it is easy to carry out DNA tests for haplogroups, which indicate one's ancestral migration routes, starting as long back as 60,000 years ago.

Common ancestors going back eight or more centuries can also be identified.

Sousa writes: 'Today...my origin can be traced back...to an African, the common male ancestor of the world's population whose descendants started migrating from northeast Africa, in the region of the Rift Valley, perhaps in present-day Ethiopia, Kenya or Tanzania, some 60,000 years ago.'

He also looks at the DNA tests of half-a-dozen other Goans, whose results are available, and what this could mean.

'The first inhabitants of western India were those of haplogroup C, the seafaring coastal people who undertook the first migration out of Africa. With its accessible coastline, Goa would certainly be an optimal candidate for them to settle,' he was quoted as saying in a press note.

He says whether the Mhars, traditional basket weavers, or the Kharwis (fishing populations) better fit the description of seafarers and were therefore the first inhabitants of Goa could be resolved by determining the haplogroups of these communities.

He traces the entry of the influential Saraswat Brahmins into Goa, and narrates how DNA testing helped him locate a relative, Errol Pinto, from the same clan from Aldona village but who had migrated to the southern coastal city of Mangalore, today in Karnataka, generations ago.

Sousa traces the ancestral names of some families in Aldona village in Goa, and relies on 17th century 'comunidade' meeting records to find out pre-conversion names of families now turned Catholic.

'Comunidades' is the term the Portuguese gave to the traditional 'gaunkari' system which ran agriculture on communal lines even before the 15th century, here as in some other parts of India.

'The Last Prabhu' suggests the religious conversion process might have also been strategic. Following the advent of Portuguese rule in Goa in 1510, changes in religion, a contentious subject, occurred here in subsequent centuries.

Sousa writes: 'Some families chose a Solomonic path - half the family converted and the other half migrated to (what today is) Karnataka or other more welcoming destinations.'

Other surprises emerge in this book.

'Brahmins all over India belong to quite different haplogroups and share these haplogroups with other varnas (castes) and in a lesser frequency with tribal populations,' writes Sousa, who has studied at St Xavier's College in Mumbai and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

'We can unambiguously conclude that there is no genetic basis whatsoever for the caste system in India and its origins must be attributed to other historical factors or possibly even just to happenstance,' he says.

©Indo-Asian News Service

GOAN VILLAGES INFO

2011-04-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

GOA TOORNTO - Pledge support for GOAN ALLIANCE

2009-01-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
* The goans from Toronto continue to pledge
their commitment and support to the formation
of an ‘Alliance of World Goa Organizations’. *

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The goans from Toronto continue to support Goan unity and solidarity around the world. We salute Rene Barreto who has
shown great leadership in helping bring Goans around the world together to celebrate Goa Day. We have reached a very
important crossroad in determining where we take our solidarity.

The goans from Toronto continue to pledge their commitment and support to the formation of an ‘Alliance of World Goa
Organizations’. We are ready to start discussions with Goan organizations around the world to determine how we can all
benefit from such an alliance. We strongly believe that the Goan community around the world has a very important voice.

People will listen to us if we are united. Best wishes to all goans as we celebrate Goa Day 2006.

Oscar Furtado,
President,
GOA Toronto,
Canada

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GLOBAL GOAN VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS

2008-11-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.goacom.com/village/calangute/

GOA TEMPLES - CHURCHES and Mosques.

2008-10-06T04:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1195318&pageid=2

http://www.goacentral.com/Goatemples/GoaTemples.htm

OVERSEAS GOAN VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS OF CHORAO

2008-08-06T01:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

We the Nobles of Chorao (Fidalgo de Chorao) are once again holding an evening to remember.
On the 24th of August, the people of Chorao celebrate the feast of St. Bartholomew ... The Saint of Harvest!
So keeping that in mind and a reason to celebrate, we are holding a dine and dance evening at the Royal Terrace on the 28th of August, '08 from 8:30 pm onwards.

To keep us on our feet thru the night are none other than our very own resident DJs .... "THE RHYTHM MAKERS"!

Lots of Prizes in store!
Games for the children!
Our Traditional Housie!
& much much more ...

Please find attached the advertisement.

Tickets:
ADULTS - KD. 4/- (per head)
CHILDREN - KD. 2.5/- (per child above 3 - 10)

For Tickets kindly contact the below mentioned:
Luiza Vaz - 5632486, Malissa - 6253356

GOAN VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS -CANADA

2008-07-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Calangute, Village Antonio Mascarenhas villa.fatima@sympatico.ca (905) 270 - 9773

Parra, Village Mrs.Felcy D'Mello felcy12@hotmail.com (905) 569 - 8572

Moira, Village Jerry Lobo jerrycelinelobo@rogers.com -

Curtorim-Loutulim-Raia ,
Villages Emano Moniz monize2@sympatico.ca -

Navelim, Village Ms. Melissa Rodrigues melissa@actionmarketing.ca -

Cortalim, Village Manuel Coutinho coutinhomanuel@hotmail.com -

Aldona, Village Warren Lobo

Siolim, Village Michelle Fonseca fonsecamich@yahoo.com

Salcete Association Selwyn Collaca info@goaamigos.com -

Goan Overseas Associaton,
Toronto Oscar Furtado oscar.furtado@rbc.com

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GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS - Aldona Association
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Anjuna Association

GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Assagao Association
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -AVC Union
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Badem De Assagao
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Bastora Union
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Benaulim Association
Calangute Association
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Candolim Association
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Chorao UK
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Colva Union
GLOBAL GOAN ASSOCIATIONS -Cortalim Union

Goan Heritage U.K
Goan Musical Society
Goan Voice - UK
Help a Poor Child
Konkani Dramatic Association U.K
Leicester Goan Association
Majorda Union
Mapuca Union
Margao Union UK
Merton Goan Senior Citizens Club
Moira Association
Mungul Association
Navelim Union
Newham Goans
Nuvem Union
Parra Association
Saligao Association
Siolim Union (London)
South East Goans
Southampton Goans
St. Diogo's Association
Tivim Association

VILLAGES of GOA

2008-06-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

A COMMUNITY OF WEALTH
By Wendell Rodricks

In 222 Goan villages, during the month of May, small lines crawl at
the Comunidade offices. Goan men, meekly like sheep to slaughter,
awaiting their jono. Some years, this distribution, the wealth of the
land, is merely a hundred rupees. "It's not about the money" they say.
It's about being the descendants of the original inhabitants of the
land. As in Garcia Marquez' famed novel "A Hundred Years of Solitude",
the Comunidades or Gaunkary of Goa, were the first settlers who tamed
the land and created our villages. With love. With pride. With
responsibility. With justice. Above all, with integrity.

The word "COMUNIDADE" is a Portuguese appellation for GAUNKARY. A
Gaunkary means an indigenous ancient association as a community of
villagers and represented by men from the first settlers or
inhabitants of Goa inter alia with inherited common contractual
responsibility in a given locality. Rules were made to be obeyed and
to carry out common duties / obligations in order to promote their own
welfare and that constituted its society or Gaunponn.

So sacred was the governance of these private village lands that even
the Portuguese did not undo nor violate the natural life of the
Gaunkary system. Realising that the 222 villages had an enviable
administration in place, the Portuguese colonizers honoured the
Gaunkary system under the law providing a "Codigo das Comunidades".
All that changed in 1961; further abused in 1968.

Today it is almost romantic to imagine the workings and honesty of the
Gaunkarys. In a world exploding with greed, corruption, illegal
behaviour and casual disrespect for any law, the Gaunkary system
appears the only answer to save Goa from ruin.

Imagine a Goa where honest villagers mark out land for farming and
animal husbandry. As per Gaunkary laws they marked out grazing areas
for cattle, maintained village dams (bunds) along rivers and settled
disputes. In this ideal village life, spaces were marked for places of
worship, graveyards and crematoriums. New areas were brought under
cultivation. All this was done without much help from the rulers, yet
contributing a share to the king. As kingdoms rose and fell over
thousands of years, what stayed was the continuity of the villages.

It is a shame that the Government of India, in direct violation of the
charter of rights of indigenous peoples, as set down by the United
Nations imposed rules of land and administration on the Goan people in
the 222 Comunidade villages of Goa. What was obviously an
unintentional but flamed transition of Portuguese to Indian law must
now be rectified. We Goans cannot blame any single person as this was
an unusual event for its time. In this cultural genocide and
ethnocide, Goans lost their voice and courage; confused in large part
emotionally, wondering if they were being anti-national. There are
many issues at stake in the legal reinstitution of the Comunidades of
Goa. Top of the list are the administrators and politicians, at both
state and national level, who want control and power, thereby
completely ignoring the thousands of years of Gaunkary system in the
Deccan and Konkan coast. Within villages, personal greed has polluted
village minds to rob them of a birth right. Corrupt Comunidade clerks
contort rules. Even Comunidade members are unaware of their rules.
Some succumb to illegalities.

New settlers do not want to accept the Gaunkary system because they
wrongly believe that the system is based on a male dominated lineage
which outsiders cannot be a part of. While the former is true, the
latter is not. Comunidades have accepted into their Gaunkary list,
people who contribute to the village. In the past, specialized labour,
skilled artisans, educationists and persons of contributing value to
the village have been added to the Comunidade.

What is special about the Gaunkary system is the ancient form of
respect for both man and environment. For me it is a unique trait in a
Goa that is suffering presently from ethnocide due to imposed Central
rules and a rapid population growth. Hopefully, one day soon India and
Goans will realize the truth and support the Comunidades of Goa. For
that, knowledge is crucial. Log onto www.geocities.com/newagegoa.
Championing the cause legally Adv. Andre Pereira and in print Savio
Herman D'Souza are optimistic about the Comunidade system. More power
to them and to Goans, in Goa, and worldwide, who support the cause.
Our ancestors formed our villages. With passion, love for the land and
for Goa, they cared for our land and homes. It is our duty to respect
those intentions. It is our duty to honour and perpetuate the
honourable intentions of our ancestors. It is time to repay their
honour. With dignity and love. It is time to revive the Comunidades of
Goa to their rightful glory.

By next May, I hope to see (at village Comunidades) not a line of
shuffling, meek Goan men but a battalion of gaunkars who are informed
and proud to be the responsible owners of their villages. That will be
a summer to rejoice and raise a cheer for the reputable and
time-respected cultural tradition of the Goan Gaunkary system.

GOAN OVERSEAS VILLAGE -ASSOCIATIONS -ALDONA -UK

2008-05-08T21:13:00.001-07:00

GOAN OVERSEAS VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS -ALDONA

2008-04-16T04:31:00.003-07:00

PROPOSAL TO HAVE BARDEZ VILLAGES ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

2008-04-13T14:12:00.001-07:00

PROPOSAL TO HAVE BARDEZ VILLAGES ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

Tuesday, 11 March 2008

By Antonio Mascarenhas

Chairman, Alliance of Overseas Goan Village Associations of Canada

Calangute Church is one of the fifteen deaneries (Vicariates Forane) of the Archdiocese of Goa and has under its jurisdiction seven parishes in addition to its own, which includes: Condolim, Nagoa, Nerul, Pilerne, Reis Magos (Verem), Saligao, Sinquerim (Linhares).

In the past lots of Villages celebrated the Village Feast/Socials in Canada, but nowadays some of the Villagers are having problems to elect the Village President to organize the Socials etc. I am the President of the Calangute Association, Canada for the last seven years and I have one more year 2009 to go.

I feel each Village could celebrate their Feast on the actual date and once a year in September celebrate jointly the Bardez Villages Social.

For example the Calangute Village will be celebrating the Feast of Patron St. Alex on actual date, Sunday July 20, 2008 at Sts Peter and Paul Church, Mississauga and on Saturday, September 13th, 2008 will be celebrating the Social with Dinner Dance etc. and we would extend our invitation to all the Villagers of Candolim, Nagoa, Nerul, Pilerne, Reis Magos (Verem), Saligao Sinquerim (Linhares) and all other Villages from Bardez, to join us and attend the Social to be held on Saturday, September 13th, 2008 at the Woodbine Banquet & Convention Hall, Rexdale, Ontario.(Opp. Woodbine Racetrack).

If it works next two years, we could in future have elected Committee for 2010 year representing each Village and have a joint Social of all the Villages of Bardez.

If you have any suggestions/comments do not hesitate to contact or e-mail me

Goan Overseas Village Associations - VELCAO -CANSAULIM -ARUSIM

2008-04-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Goan Villages Association of Saligao

2008-04-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Goan Village Association of Saligao - UK
http://www.SaligaoUK.com/index.html

GLOBAL GOAN VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS -

2008-04-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

-----------------------------

Joao De Sa desa@qp.com.qa

johndesa@yahoo.com
desa@qp.com.qa

worldgoaday

2008-03-14T09:39:00.001-07:00

GLOBAL GOAN VILLAGE -ASSOCIATIONS_SIOLIM,GOA

2008-01-06T01:32:00.000-08:00

Calling All World-Wide Siolim Associations

The Toronto Siolim Association is trying to contact the Presidents
of the UK, USA & Middle East Siolim Associations.
The purpose is to network on joint initiatives at home and abroad.

Please contact Xavier Carvalho, Past President, email:torontosiolcars@gmail.com.

2007-12-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

GOAN OVERSEAS VILLAGE ASSOCIATION -NAVELIM_CANADA

2007-12-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

from: Melissa
To: 'Antonio Mascarenhas'
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 5:36 AM
Subject: RE: The Alliance of Goan Village Associations in Canada

Hi Antonio,
Hope all is well. Thank you for all your recent updates.
Sorry for not replying sooner after our initial conversation. I just returned last night from my trip to Hong Kong .

This is to confirm that the Navelim Union of Canada will join the Alliance of Goan Village Associations of Canada.
We look forward to our participation and hope that our support will help to make a difference within our community.

Thank you and congratulations on being the “Voice” for Canada .

Regards,

Melissa Rodrigues
President
Navelim Union of Canada

GOAN OVERSEAS ASSOCIATION -MOIRA in CANADA

2007-12-11T00:19:00.000-08:00

Antonio,

The Villagers of Moira in Canada, we would be delighted to join
The Alliance of Goan Village Associations in Canada.

Thank you

Jerry Lobo
President - Moira 2007/8

ALLIANCE of GOAN VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS _TORONTO, CANADA

2007-11-27T09:16:00.000-08:00

GOAN OVERSEAS VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS-CANADA

2007-11-14T23:50:00.001-08:00

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
* The goans from Toronto continue to pledge
their commitment and support to the formation
of an ‘Alliance of World Goa Organizations’. *

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The goans from Toronto continue to support Goan unity and
solidarity around the world. We salute Rene Barreto who has
shown great leadership in helping bring Goans around the
world together to celebrate Goa Day. We have reached a very
important crossroad in determining where we take our
solidarity.
The goans from Toronto continue to pledge their commitment
and support to the formation of an ‘Alliance of World Goa
Organizations’. We are ready to start discussions with Goan
organizations around the world to determine how we can all
benefit from such an alliance. We strongly believe that the
Goan community around the world has a very important voice.
People will listen to us if we are united. Best wishes to
all goans as we celebrate
Goa Day 2006.

Oscar Furtado,
President,
GOA Toronto,
Canada

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

GOAN VILLAGE ASSOCIATION -PARA

2007-11-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

FOR INFORMATION ONLY

ANTONIO

----- Original Message -----
From: Felcy D'Mello

Subject: Village of Parra

Dear Antonio,

It was a pleasure speaking with you this evening.
On behalf of the Village of Parra, I am delighted
to join The Alliance of Goan Village Associations
in Canada.

We are planning to celebrate the Parra Social on
Sunday, July 20, 2008.

My contact details below:

Res: 905 569 8572
Off: 416 307 7496
Email: felcy8@hotmail.com

Regards,

Felcy D'Mello
President - 2008
Village of Parra

You are Visitor no :

2007-09-26T08:29:00.002-07:00

You are number

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GOAN VILLAGES - BASTORA

2007-09-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

http://www.bastora.co.uk/

Alliance of Goan Overseas VILLAGE ASSOCIATIONS of CANADA

2007-09-11T01:09:00.001-07:00

Announcements

World Alliance of Goan Overseas Associations
============================

Antonio Mascarenhas Invited

Rene Barreto, World Goa Day Overall coordinator, has invited Antonio Mascarenhas, President, Goan Village Association of Calangute - Canada, to lead the proposed formation of the Alliance of Goan Overseas Village Associations of Canada. Mascarenhas has been active in the Goan Community (Kampala Institute) in Kampala,and G.O.A, Toronto, (Recipient of Volunteer Service Awards for 10 and 15 years from the Ontario Government, Canada) and also the Calangute Village Goan Association of Canada as President for the last 6 years. Almost all the Indian Overseas Associations have a representative that speaks for them in India and abroad too.

The Secretary of the World Alliance of Goan Overseas Associations is Tony Colaco,President of the GOA Sydney, Australia and the Chairman is Oscar Furtado, President of the G.O.A. Toronto.

Website of the Goan Alliance :http://www.our-goa-nsw.org/alliance.html

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OPEN LETTER TO ALL OVERSEAS GOANS ORGANIZATIONS

Dear Overseas Goans Organisations,

There are many Goan Organisations worldwide involved in many goodwill
services to our Community. To each Organisation; we need to address a
priority on a urgent basis i.e. to mobilise a mass awareness among overseas
Goans to protect Goa's Identity; else we will no longer have a place to call
home. The time to act is now!!

This awareness programme needs to be well planned & co-ordinated to spread
the facts; This is very important as many Overseas Goans are unaware of the
facts threatening our identity. People will only act
if they are aware.

Goans generally appear to have resigned themselves to loosing their
Identity. If this is the case, then we should stop creating/having Goan
organisations/Forums, as in my view what is the point; if we
carry on as we are; soon without a Goa with Goan Identity, all these
organisations/forums will not be relevant!!

I request each Overseas Goan Organisation to initiate spreading the said
awareness amongst as many Goans as possible, in their respective
country/region.

Arwin Mesquita,
Abu Dhabi, UAE.

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ALLIANCE OF OVERSEAS GOAN VILLAGES
ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

336 Karen Park Crescent
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5A 3C6
Tel: (905) 270-9773
Toll Free: 1-888-270-9773 (Canada & USA)
E-mail: HYPERLINK "mailto:villa.fatima@sympatico.ca" villa.fatima@sympatico.ca

May 11th, 2008

Mr. Olavio Da Costa
President
Salcete Association of Canada

Dear Olavio:

On behalf of the Alliance of Goan Village Associtions of Canada, I congratulate all the Villagers of Salcete Association of Canada , on the occasion of its 29th Annual Salcete Social . The celebrations to be held on May 11th, 2008 at Payal Banquet Hall, Mississauga.

The milestone provides the Villagers of Salcete with a wonderful opportunity to
reflect upon the Villagers proud history of achievement in Canada.

Please accept my best wishes for a most enjoyable celebration and every success in
meeting the challenges of the future.

Happy Feast.

With all best wishes.

Antonio Mascarenhas
Chairman
Alliance of Goan Village Associations of Canada

Website of the Goan Alliance
HYPERLINK "http://www.our-goa-nsw.org/alliance.html" http://www.our-goa-nsw.org/alliance.html

EMBED PBrush
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Village Clubs in Goa
By Irineu Gonsalves
Goan society presents fascinating aspects of its life. It is a miniature world in itself having unique features. It has attracted people from all over the world. Yet we cannot say that it has thrown light on the life of the people from all angles. The Goan culture is a mosaic shaped from every conceivable fabric of social and sporting process that took place over the years.
When we talk about Goan sports, obviously the salient features of its culture emerge before us. The main organiser of community, cultural, sporting and other diverse activities in its composite form have been the village clubs supported by the villagers who have genuine love for the activities carried on by the clubs. It is only recently that divisive forces have been setting up separate clubs. But one thing is certain. These clubs have not sustained for long because their motives are different.
The village clubs should not tie up to the ethos of just one activity, say football, but involve locals to play games of their choice. The clubs should provide unity and goodwill, moral and intellectual as well as social and physical advancement of members.
Not to be left behind, carom, draughts and ‘ tablam’ a local game involving play with little sticks( played outside bars in some villages during monsoons), should be re-introduced so that village people who cannot play chess, scrabble, badminton, table tennis etc can take part. A lot of badminton and volleyball tournaments used to take place on floodlit courts.
Clubs used to organise summer festivals (not just beat shows); housies every Sunday, lucky draws and so on. They seem to have all disappeared.
At the beginning of the year, clubs used to organise talent contests such as singing, elocution, one-act plays, athletic meets etc to get the pulse of the hidden talent in the villages. Besides the above-mentioned sports activities, the clubs should have their traditional Summer Nite, a gala social dance which can easily attract a good holiday crowd. The clubs do organise football tournaments, with participation of many teams, drawn from all over Goa with good attractive prizes.
Let us get to know the activities of various clubs in Goan villages. Recently, Pax of Nagoa Sports Club celebrated its Annual Day. It was an occasion for the members as well as for the villagers to renew their camaraderie with a fresh vigour.
The club’s beginning dates back to 1963 when a group of young men with the guidance of late Fr Bruno Diniz, chaplain, founded the club with football as the main sporting event. This village club became the first club in the country to play in the National Football League. No mean achievement this.
The Nagoa club, under its new president Carmelino Machado and the vivacious and dynamic general secretary Savio Pinto who deservingly got elected for the third term have been laying emphasis on the youth power. And rightly so! The secretary in his annual report highlighted the contribution of the present dispensation of the youth wing. The Ambulance service which has been in operation since the last six months has been of immense benefit to the locals.
The club doesn’t have a separate driver. Any club member having a driving license volunteers to take the sick to the hospital. The secretary, however, came down heavily on the Village Panchayat for not providing the club with sufficient funds despite being one of the richest panchayats in the State.
The club has completed 45 years. It makes it a point to remember contribution of members and honour them suitably. This year the club paid rich tributes to ex-President Francis S Cabral, the chairman of the Cabral Group of Companies who passed away recently.
His contribution to the rise of the club had been enormous. There was a time when he bailed the club out of financial crisis. It is another matter if later on he floated his own club-Cabral Sports Club.