AWES turns focus on Goa’s legendary clubs | Goa News

Some of Goa’s popular footballers are expected to take to the field

Panaji: The Association for the Wellbeing of Elder Sportspersons (AWES) will hold its annual sports festival, get-together and felicitation on Sunday, with legendary players taking to the field at the Sinquetim Sports Complex, Navelim, 9.30am.Veteran players will showcase their skills in football, volleyball, athletics, basketball and table tennis. Later, a felicitation function will be held to recognise the special achievements of clubs, players and officials.Associacao Academica de Moira and Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias will be felicitated for completing 100 years and more of its existence, while clubs which took part in the first Goan Football League (Primeiro Campeonato de Goa de Football) organised by the Conselho de Desportos in 1951, and are still active, will be recognised for their longevity.“This year commemorates a very important milestone in the history for football in Goa. It is now 75 years since the first Goan Football League was formed and several clubs came into existence,” said Avertano Furtado, president of AWES.These clubs, significantly, include the first champions Clube Desportivo de Chichinim and runners up Lube (FC Siolim) Sports Clube. Others in the category are Vasco Sports Club, Sporting Clube de Goa, Sao Miguel de Taleigao, PVC Sports Club, Calangute Association, Guirim Sports Club, Santa Cruz Club of Cavelossim and Associacao Academica de Majorda.Guirdolim Sports Club, which has been organising a cycle race without a break for over 50 years, Chandor Club (organisers of the Seamen Cup) and Raia Sporting Club (Custodio Memorial Soccer) will also be honoured.The organisers will also felicitate former sportspersons, officials and administrators who have contributed significantly towards the development of sports in Goa. These include Roshan Lal Nahar (badminton), Dr. Satish Kudchadkar (badminton), Peter Rodrigues (cycling), Anthony Fernandes (athletics), Carmo Vaz (volleyball), Apu Rajan (long distance running) and Gajanand Salkar (administrator).The Association for the Wellbeing of Elder Sportspersons (AWES) is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. AWES is an organisation that was founded by several sportspersons of repute, who felt that Goa’s elder sportspersons were not getting their due. The elder sportspersons brought laurels to the state and country but in their twilight years are mostly forgotten.