The other side of India shining Special

“Zupela shet” was once a paddy field which was abandoned by its owners, according to folklore the owners believe its cultivation brought curses to them and to their family. As children, we heard our elders relate stories that snakes would find way to the owner’s home every time they cultivated the paddy fields, which was considered a bad omen. After years and decades of lack of paddy growing activity the field was gifted to the local club going by the name and style of Cuncolim Union. For the last one decade there has not been much of sporting activity at the ground. The ground use to remained water logged during the rainy season as rain waters gushed into the ground from the adjoining paddy fields. The ground reaming water logged during the non-rainy season as excess water from the Selaulim Water Irrigation Project ensured that the ground was not fit for sporting activity. So next time if you find your way to Cuncolim do not be surprised if you find a huge building at the site as the paddy field has been filled with mud in the month of May. According to Cuncolim Union President Elvis Gomes, who also happens to be the former Tourism Director of Goa, the Union is building a club house at the site. The Union is raising donation for the project and Clube de sporting De Goa owner Peter Vaz has made a donation of Rs.2.5 lakhs for the project. Cuncolim which is a municipal town is part of the constituency represented by Goa Football Association President Joaquim Alemao in the state legislative assembly. Joqauim along with elder brother Churchill are Goa state ministers and have their own family club Churchill Bros, which finished winners in this year’s I-League- India’s professional league football tournament. Strangely Cuncolim Union office bearers led by its secretary Ramesh Dessai opposed the state-of-the-art football academy which was to be set up by All India Football Federation (AIFF) in Cuncolim. The AIFF decided to abandon their academy plans in Goa after opposition from locals; they are now looking up at setting up the same in another state.