Navelim is a very famous village in Salcette.
It has produced well known sons and daughters, two of the most popular sons of Goa namely Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes a parliamentarian
who represented India Portuguesa (Goa) in Portuguese Parliament and the other Cardinal Gracias who happened to be the first
Goan Cardinal were the sons of Navelim.
From this village we have amongst us in Kuwait one well known celebrity in Gasper Crasto who created ripples of his identity
not only in his village but also in Goa and all over India through his prowess in Foot-ball. Not only in soccer but also in other
disciplines of Sports such as Cricket and Swimming. Gasper Crasto born and bred in Goa at Navelim is a true Goan having great love for his land and his mother tongue Konkani. During the last three
years of his residence in Kuwait he showed lot of love for the cause of Goa and Konkani.
As it is Navelkars in Kuwait are very much known for their love for Goa and Konkani causes and for that matter in any good cause of humanity. In one of their villagers Mr. Elvino
Rodrigues from Mandopa they have a great Goa & Konkani lover. Elvino Rodrigues currently is the president of prestigious
Goan Organisation Kuwait Konknni Kendr, it is yet another big honour for Navelim to have one of their members as president
of a well known organization KKK. Kuwait Konknni Kendr is the only organization of this type anywhere in the World formed
by expatriate Goans and it is in existence since about last 20 years.
Like Dr. Francis Luis Gomes Naverlkars in Kuwait are known to be the people who are ready to fight against injustice and
this great attribute of theirs they have readily shown by firmly and in large numbers associating with Goa-Kuwait Solidarity
Centre to raise their voice against Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Gasper Crasto as a young boy did his schooling at Rosary High School Navelim
and after completing his higher education at Chowgule College Margao, Gasper Crasto joined Fr. Agnels where he successfully
acquired a diploma in Mechanical Engineering. As a professional Mechanical Engineer currently he is working for Al Mulla Engineering
Group. Gasper Crasto started his soccer career first by playing for Navelim Soccerites(All Goa U-14 Champions 1983)
Currently
Playing for NYC in the Kuwait India Football Federation - Kuwait since 1999.
During the last three years in soccer tournaments conducted by
Kuwait Indian Foot-ball Federation at Sour Grounds I have been observing Crasto very minutely and I found him to be one of
the good forwards who can use both his legs with equal ease and also showing some dynamism in aerial duels. Besides, he can
easily read the game of his opponents and control the field accordingly. He is good defensive forward through which he can
well feed his colleagues as he is good distributor of the ball. There are few players among us currently at Sour Ground like
him. We used to have such players earlier 20 years back but they are no more seen now at Sour Grounds.
As a member
of Navelim Foot-ball Team wielding lot of influence on and off the field Gasper Crasto has to play a very good role to bring
about peace and sanity at Sour Grounds. While speaking to me, he assured that if necessary he will even give up playing rather
than succumb to rowdism and disorder created by the people around him including his associates inside and outside the field.
As a young man with elite educational background
and also with good disciplined family background, Gasper has to play a very good role to create a co-operative atmosphere
not only on Sour Ground activities but also within his own circle by first telling them that without Sour Ground they and
everyone involved in our soccer are non entities. Day by day situation is getting out of hands at sour Grounds and in the
forthcoming season starting on 21st of this month under the new KIFF managing committee, not only Gasper Crasto but also others
like him with good character, discipline, good educational & family background must rise up to the occasion to create
an amicable atmosphere instead of animosity. Foot-ball and sports in general are organized to create friendship and not enmity.
We play at Sour Ground not to win the World
Cup but to recreate ourselves and to pass our time with some amusement. Inspite of millions at stake even the World Cuppers
are not creating animosity as some of our midi World Cuppers at Sour Ground are creating.
Gasper Crasto is also a
good referee and since this time besides playing for his team he will also do the refereeing, he must give maximum cooperation
to the oraganisers of the tournaments to run our soccer activities very smoothly. As a member of Navelim Club he must also
use his influence in the Club to make the Club leadership more cooperative. One thing must be borne in mind that those who
display confrontationist attitude they show not only their poor character but they also show their shabby background.
Besides
being a sportsman of high calibre having fabulous sporting and soccer past he puts his inputs for the good of his villagers
back home and also in Kuwait.
Currently we need more of such social workers as there is too much of need of social workers among our community.
Gasper
Crasto is also a good free lance journalist and commenting on Soccer is his especiality. He has also prepared his own Website
"http://gaspercrasto.tripod.com" where one can get more information of this young Goan footballer from Navelim.
When
I questioned what are the weak points and good points at Sour Ground, Gasper Crasto while showering abundant praises on United
Goans Centre (UG)for initiating our soccer some years back said Weak Refereeing and rowdism on and off the field are the weak
points and G.O.A. Maroons, the best Team is the good point.
Interviewed by :
A. VERONICA FERNANDES.
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