Celly Dias: one of Uganda's greatest sportsmen

 

Celly Dias

One of Uganda’s greatest sportsmen

By Norman Da Costa

Celly Dias will be remembered for his excellence on and off the field. He used his creativity and skills to get to the top. Then he turned his attention indoors and again mastered the intricacies of each sport to reign supreme.

Celly was a legend in Uganda and his impact on the field was immediate and profound. He enjoyed the best of two worlds – indoors and outdoors - and even his opponents admired him and spoke in glowing terms of this sportsman. He was a sportsman in the true real sense of the word. Having met and interviewed some of the greatest sportsmen during my career in Kenya and later in Canada one thing that struck me about Celly was that he reminded me of tennis ace Roger Federer - humble and down-to-earth.

 Celly, who passed away at the age of 94, still followed every sport closely and would analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a batsman or a bowler. This isn’t surprising as Celly perfected every ball he delivered and every shot he played. “He was a perfectionist,’’ offered Denis Pereira, a teammate of Celly’s at the Kampala Goan Institute and on Uganda’s tennis squad. Another all-round great Charlie de Souza had nothing but praise for Celly. De Souza was in my estimation the greatest all-rounder in Uganda cricket that’s until his career and that of others were cut short by the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by dictator Idi Amin.

 “Celly was a natural at any sport in took part in,’’ said Charlie. “I marvelled at him on the cricket field and on the tennis courts where he reigned as the country’s singles champion.” Tennis ran in the veins of the Dias family. His dad S.P. Dias was the first Goan to win the Uganda Protectorate Open Singles tennis title in 1935. In 1952 Celly followed in his father’s footsteps and claimed the title.

Celly later turned his attention indoors where he excelled in darts and billiards, leaving an indelible mark as well. In his later years, he took up to pickleball to stay fit as he would say.

It wasn’t until he arrived in Canada did Celly turn his attention to darts and he hit the bull’s eye immediately. He started pocketing one trophy after another and one look at his mantlepiece one would think all this silverware was collected by a team. No, it was a collection of just one man – Celly. As Edith, his wife of 68 years, would often remind me that she was the biggest and best silverware he  won.

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One person who charted Celly’s progress inside the ropes at Kampala’s Nakivubo Stadium and elsewhere was my friend John Noronha who is a walking encyclopedia on Uganda sports.

   Here’s John’s take on Celly’s exploits in cricket.

“Celly broke on the scene in 1948 and at age 18 was the babe of the team that won the Triangular that year, playing a crucial unbeaten innings of 21 in that low-scoring match.

 Within the next few years, he became a dominant batsman who picked up runs in the most unconventional and effortless way. In 1950 in the match that the late Michael Texeira took 10 wickets, the Goans went in to bat chasing a score of 143 in 100 minutes. Celly opened the batting and took the challenge head-on, scoring 107 runs in 80 minutes and seeing his team to victory. A year later in 1951, opening the batting for the United Asians against the Uganda Kobs, he pummelled the bowling for 115 runs before retiring.

  For some inexplicable reason, he was not selected to the Uganda national team until 1960 when he “earned” his one and only cap in a win over Tanganyika. Numerous times this talented sportsman bailed the Goans out of extremely awkward situations. In the 1960 quadrangular final against the Asians, Celly came to the wicket with his team at 106 for six and went on to score an unbeaten 87 and the took three wickets to lead the Goans to the Shield.

In 1962 another tailender knock of 95 saw the Goans amass a total of 463 runs to achieve yet another impressive championship victory over the Asians. He was also part of the 1964 quadrangular[ND1]  and the 1966 Pentangular wins by the Goans. Celly also was a difficult bowler to play against with his ability to mingle slow medium pace with delicate off-spin bowling.

 “When not spending his time in cricket “whites” all he did was win the 1953 Uganda tennis singles crown (a feat his father had done in 1932) and was a top-flight player for the Kampala Goan tennis team for many years, winning the Uganda doubles crown as well.”

Celly Dias will be remembered for his excellence on and off the field where he used his creativity and skills to get to the top. Then he turned his attention indoors and again mastered the intricacies of each sport to reign supreme. Celly was a legend in Uganda and the impact he had on any sport he played was profound. He enjoyed the best of two worlds – indoors and outdoors - and even his opponents had nothing but admiration for this sportsman. He was a sportsman in the true sense of the word. Having met and interviewed some of the greatest sportsmen during my career in Kenya and later in Canada one thing that struck me about Celly was that he reminded of tennis ace Roger Federer - humble and down-to-earth. Celly still followed every sport closely and would pinpoint strengths and weaknesses of a batsman or a bowler. This isn’t surprising as Celly perfected every ball he delivered or every shot he played. “He was a perfectionist,’’ offered Denis Pereira, a teammate of Celly’s at the Kampala Goan Institute and on Uganda’s tennis squad. Another all-round great Charlie de Souza had nothing but praise for Celly. De Souza was in my estimation the greatest all-rounder in Uganda cricket that’s until his career and that of others was cut short by the expulsion of Asians from Uganda by dictator Idi Amin.

  “Celly was a natural at any sport in took part in,’’ said Charlie. “I marvelled at him on the cricket field and the tennis courts where he reigned as the country’s singles champion.”

Celly later turned his attention indoors where he excelled in darts and billiards, leaving an indelible mark as well. In his later years, he took up pickleball to stay fit as he would say.

 It wasn’t until he arrived in Canada did Celly turn his attention to darts and he hit the bull’s eye immediately. He immediately started pocketing one trophy after another and one look at his mantlepiece one would think all this silverware was collected by a team. No, it was a collection of just one man – Celly. His favourite trophy though was Edith, his wife of 68 years.

One person who charted Celly’s progress inside the ropes at Kampala’s Nakivubo stadium and elsewhere was my friend John Noronha who is a walking encyclopaedia on Uganda sports.

 Here’s John’s take on Celly’s exploits in cricket.

“Celly broke on the scene in 1948 and at age 18 was the babe of the team that won the Triangular that year, playing a crucial unbeaten innings of 21 in that low-scoring match.

 Within the next few years, he became a dominant batsman who picked up runs in the most unconventional and effortless way. In 1950 in the match that the late Michael Texeira took 10 wickets, the Goans went in to bat chasing a score of 143 in 100 minutes. Celly opened the batting and took the challenge head-on, scoring 107 runs in 80 minutes and seeing his team to victory. A year later in 1951, opening the batting for the United Asians against the Uganda Kobs, he smashed the bowling for 115 runs before retiring.

 For some inexplicable reason, he was not selected to the Uganda national team until 1960 when he “earned” his one and only cap in a win over Tanganyika. Numerous times this talented sportsman bailed the Goans out of extremely awkward situations. In the 1960 quadrangular final against the Asians, Celly came to the wicket with his team at 106 for six and went on to score an unbeaten 87 and the took three wickets to lead the Goans to the Shield victory!

In 1962 another tailender knock of 95 saw the Goans amass a total of 463 runs to achieve yet another impressive championship victory over the Asians. He was also part of the 1964 quadrangular and the 1966 Pentangular wins by the Goans. Celly also was a difficult bowler to play against with his ability to mingle slow medium pace with delicate off-spin bowling.

 “When not spending his time in cricket “whites” all he did was win the 1953 Uganda tennis singles crown (a feat his father had done in 1932) and was a top-flight player for the Kampala Goan tennis team for several years, winning the Uganda doubles crown as well.”

Goans Pentagular competition

In Memoriam

RIEP Monte Vianna

 

AFRICANA

STAFF MAN

KILLED IN

AIR CRASH

THE FOLLOWING is an obituary I was not able to write because I was away somewhere in the world on an assignment and by the time I got back my friend and colleague Monte Vianna was already dead, buried and with the angels. He was one of the most beloved of young men and there would not have been a single person alive who would have one bad word to say about him. With his departure, a dark cloud hung around almost everyone who knew Monte.

By John Eames (former editor of the Sunday Nation and Africana magazine)

(Africana was a popular magazine published by the Nation Group)

One of the magazine’s staff writers was killed in a light aircraft crash in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park in August. Monte Vianna was just 25, but had long been regarded as one of the most foremost tourism and wildlife reporters in the country; he was the specialist writer on the subject for the Nation group of newspapers which includes Africana.

Quite predictably, the crash and the five-day search for the aircraft caught the imagination of the Kenyan people. It built up into the biggest air-sea-land search ever mounted here and came to the attention of President Jomo Kenyatta himself.

The plane was found eventually near Tsavo’s Buchuma Gate entrance on the Nairobi-Mombasa Road; it was 70 miles off course to Mombasa. Monte had been killed on impact but the pilot Kamal Sabharwal had miraculously survived and was found wandering around, badly concussed, in fear of the animals but only superficially hurt.

After the drama of the search came a flood of tributes. Monte’s two chief attributes were a total dedication to wildlife preservation and tourism promotion, and an easy-going, generous personality were described in messages of sympathy from the President downwards.

We worked closely, of course, and in fact were together on an African assignment at the time of the accident, which is why I must add the last obituary:

Monte was either too young or unable to assume any cynical detachment in his job. He was still wide-eyed about Kenya’s natural attractions and entirely involved in the cause of promoting them locally and through his string with German travel magazines.

His mild, almost shy, manner helped considerably and he moved easily in areas of sometimes touchy sensitivity. He became trusted and well-informed.

A second crusade developed a few weeks before his death. He was promoted to run the Nation’s Mombasa office and he immediately became heavily engaged in providing blanket news coverage of his vast Coast territory, administering the office and building circulation. He turned up everywhere, frequently air-ferried by his friend Kamal, who was also an expert photographer.

Monte was busy, but there was always time for a specific Africana job, or to send up a feature on his own initiative, or for a personal favour. For instance, a week before the accident, he agreed to meet Joy Adamson at the airport for me and settle her in a hotel. Typically, he spent the entire weekend as her chauffeur and general handyman. But he was amused by it all and – anyway, as he said, it was “a good story”.

The following weekend I was to go to Lamu for Africana. I told him and his immediate response was an offer to organise the flight. Kamal subsequently hired a tiny Cherokee 140 and Monte came along to take aerial pictures for me.

We explored the coastline at low altitude, earmarking stretches of magnificent empty beaches for ourselves and diving to inspect huge colonies of sea birds on coral atolls close to Lamu.

I remained on the island and the others flew out an hour before dusk, having been delayed by a boat breakdown in the channel between Lamu and Manda Island, where the airstrip was located. Mombasa control heard from the pilot after dark, around 7 pm. There was no hint of anxiety, and he expected to sight Mombasa at any moment. After that, there was no further contact.

The search began at first light with the Kenya armed forces engaged and scores of civilian volunteers as well. The operation was thorough and intensified rather than fell off as the days passed.

Eventually, the wreckage was found, with Monte’s body strapped fast to the upturned cockpit. Tracker dogs were brought in and 24 hours later, Kamal was found – badly sunburned, parched and delirious. He had survived on berries and dew on the leaves.

They might have landed halfway to Mombasa; perhaps at Malindi as the light began to fail that even and grey rain clouds built up. But they had a flying assignment early the following morning. They were to cover the foundation of the first safari lodge in the Taita Hills.

This was a priority assignment for Monte; and he was looking forward to it. The lodge would help open up the area to tourism. It was an important development in his special field – in his private territory. It was “a good story”.

Born in Mombasa on July 7, 1946 to Manuel and Anna Vianna, his siblings include Ernest Vianna who lives in Toronto Canada, the late Xavier and Alfred and his sisters were Helen, Zeena and Monica. His youngest brother was Manu. The Viannas were a highly motivated, sports-minded and adventurous family. Monte was just 25 years old when he met with the accident.

 

 

 

In Memoriam

 

RIEP Carlito Mascarenhas

  CARLOS (CARLITO) MASCARENHAS

  MAY 24, 1937 - JULY 16, 2024

Carlito pictured between the two Sikhs at the top

It is with a sad heart and tearfilled eyes that we have to inform you, and all friends, that Edna's brother, Carlito, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on the evening of July 16th, 2024.   He went in for a shower, his wife heard a loud thud, went to check and found him face down on the ground, bleeding profusely, and he was gone!  Speculation is a heart attack.  The rest of the family, waiting for him to come after his shower to say their nightly rosary and prayers, were absolutely stunned and shocked!  So were we, his siblings and our families! 

Carlito was born in Entebbe, Uganda, on May 24, 1937 and had his schooling at St Paul's in Belgaum. An avid sportsman, keen on body building while in school, he participated in hockey, cricket and soccer; and that stood him in good stead when, after graduation, he came back to Uganda  and joined the Uganda Police Force. Through hard work and keen investigating skills, he quickly rose through the ranks. He also participated in boxing, hockey and cricket for the Police teams. He retired from the Uganda Police in the late 1960s and went to London, England.

Carlito was a great sportsman and made a major contribution to the Kampala Goan Institute . At hockey he played left half and was a hardworking and “clean” player — resulting in him being selected to represent Uganda in the East African championships in 1960

On the cricket field he excelled. Tall and well built he was an imposing figure with the bat and the ball. Often, he changed the fortunes of a game with a torrid bowling spell or a swashbuckling innings. Along the way he was part of numerous victories by the Uganda Goans in the annual intercommunal matches, occasionally as captain. His formidable play resulted in him representing Uganda on a number of occasions between 1958 and 1966, when he migrated. I would be remiss if I did not mention that he was highly respected by the Captains and the opposing teams because of his Sportsmanship!

On a rainy  evening, you could find him in the KGI (Kampala Goan Institute) playing table tennis and or Pool. All in all, a fine all round sportsman! On the side he studied and obtained the UK ACIS (Associate of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries) qualification.   

When he got to London, he quickly joined the Lusitanian hockey team and was a valuable member there for a few years, before emigrating to Vancouver, Canada. In Canada, he qualified as a Certified General Accountant (CGA) and was the Chief Accountant for the Vancouver Canucks Hockey Team for several years until he finally retired and decided to settle in Goa. He kept fit playing a lot of Squash, and was good at it!

His dream was to have a mini "Butchart Gardens" in the large backyard of the family home in Loutulim, the dream he fulfilled with a lot of thought, hard work, and financial outlay. And he enhanced it with a playground for the kids, an Aviary, two swimming pools and statues of "Christ the Redeemer", "Mahatma Gandhi", "Buddha"  and a caricature of himself.  

His was a life well lived, full of adventure and courage, fun and laughter and his generosity and offer to help those in need will be long remembered.

To his wife Merlyn, son Carl and daughters Gizelle, aged 12, and Crezann, aged 6, and siblings Edna (Al), late Ralph (Maria Alice), Merle (Willie) and Pascal (Leah) and their families, we offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences. May the many happy and fun filled memories he left behind, help to console them in their grief.  

With the Uganda Hockey Greats.  Rest in Peace Carlito

 

Tracing Early Kenyan Football’s Roots in Mombasa and Beyond.

(dedicated to one of my four-star readers: aka Mwarabu originally from Mombasa but now living in the Middle East!

An early football club in Mombasa in the 1930s, James A. C. Burke (gentleman in suit & tie on the right) is the only one identified. Source: Coastweek magazine.

I stumbled on the above photo on Coastweek magazine a few months ago and I’ve been trying to research on early football in Kenya ever since, with a focus on how the Coast influenced it, or pioneered it if you prefer. I was impressed by how well-organised and managed they looked for a football team in Kenya in the 1930s. Also, if they had trophies on display then there must have been rival football clubs to them at the time, most likely just as competitive and well-organised. Sadly, there has been little or no information on them and their then rivals available, so far. We will hopefully change that by welcoming a concerted research effort of writer and readers, with any possible corrections from readers just as key to the process. A certain Captain Musa M. Ittiso had sent the photo to Coastweek magazine on behalf of the Burke family to rectify an error and seek assistance, the photo had first appeared on the cover of a 2013 edition of the Old Africa magazine but had wrongfully labelled Mr. James A. C. Burke as the gentleman on the left. An understandable error because the gentleman on the left is white and would match the English name. Luckily, the real Mr. Burke had his descendants alive, with one of his granddaughters living in Mombasa, thus prompting the correction. James A. C. Burke hailed from Trinidad and Tobago and was educated in Britain, most probably where the seeds of what we assume to be a football managerial career were planted. He came to Kenya in the 1920s to practise law (on one occasion he was remembered and honoured posthumously for his contribution to the legal practice in Mombasa, with his grandson presented a token and a photo of his grandfather at the Mombasa High Court) and was known to be a proficient swimmer, swimming across the channel from Mombasa Club to English Point. He died in Kenya in 1947. However, the identification process ends there, with the Burke family themselves seeking any possible information on the 1930s Mombasa team Mr. Burke was involved with.

My first thought on where more information on early football in Mombasa could be found was Mombasa Sports Club, having been founded in 1896 surely there must have been some form of early football records despite the club being cricket-predominant at the time. I found more than I had hoped for. On Mombasa Sports Club’s history page, there is record of a football match on October 8th, 1904 between Europeans and CMS Boys, the freed slaves from the Church Mission Society Settlement in Frere Town, a match which CMS Boys won. “It was a bit hot for Europeans and on the Sahara Desert sports ground the advantage went to those not wearing shoes”, describes the official match report. Remarkable.

Source: Mombasa Sports Club.

“This is a grant in perpetuity, free of cost, by Salim bin Khalfan, Liwali of Mombasa, to Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge (Her Majesty’s Commissioner and Consul General of East Africa Protectorate) and to Ralph Bertie Peter Cator (HM Judge) and others, as Trustees of Mombasa Sports Club”, reads the original title deed of Mombasa Sports Club as highlighted on their history page.

As previously highlighted in my poem ‘It tolls for thee; The Frere people and the historic Kengeleni bell’ in this blog last week, the freed slaves in Frere Town had roots in Nyasaland (Malawi), Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. And it’s in Mozambique where I feel could be the origin of the football knowledge and I assume style that the CMS Boys had to outsmart the British in that particular match, resilience to the sweltering heat of Mombasa notwithstanding. This based on me being a lifelong student of the game of football and its history. It must have taken a unique effort to beat the founders of the game, when the game was still in its infancy in the country. I attribute this to the fact that Africa’s greatest football export, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, fondly referred to as Panthera Negras (Black Panther), came from Maputo, Mozambique. He went on to play for Portugal and would score a whooping 733 goals in 745 matches in his professional career. Notably, 473 goals in 440 matches for his beloved Benfica and 41 goals in 64 matches for his adopted nation. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1965, and was runner-up in 1962 and 1966. If you have watched footage of Eusébio you will notice that he combined flair with great athleticism, raw power and a trademark ferocious right-footed shot. It’s the flair bit that I feel could give further credence to my thinking that the football played in Kenya’s Coast has Mozambican roots.

Coastal football in Kenya, Mombasa notably, has a distinctive style from that played in other parts of the country. Leisurely played on the sandy beaches, it prioritises flair and flamboyance over an ‘ends justify the means’ result-driven approach. Given an opportunity, the average football fan in Mombasa would sign a mercurial Neymar over a work-horse N’golo Kante for their team any given day, and twice on Sunday. Nutmegs (chobo) are received with great excitement by the crowd, kanzu even more so. I think it’s Mombasa’s famous son in football coaching circles, Twahir Muhiddin, who once commented post-match, “Japo wametufunga, vyenga tuliwala” (They might have won, but we constantly dribbled past them/played the more sleek football). The tag line is Mombasa Raha after all, no time for unpalatable dull football. It’s no wonder that during every FIFA World Cup, outside the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and the country boundaries of Brazil itself, you’d find the next loyal supporters of the Brazilian national team in Old Town Mombasa and Kisauni. Their flowery style resonates with what the locals here consider football in its purest form. Therein lies a common link from my Eusébio and Mozambique inference, the Brazilian Ginga.

Mozambique was ruled by the Portuguese for over 4 centuries, Brazil ruled by the same colonial master for a little over 3 centuries. Beginning in the 16th century, very many slaves were taken from Angola and Mozambique to the vast sugarcane plantations in Brazil taking with them their culture, a piece of it being the Capoeira. The Capoeira was a form of martial arts that fused fighting and dancing. The Capoeira itself is likened to the Angolan N’golo/Engolo, a spiritual dance providing a link to the afterlife, channeling ancestors in the dance that involves kicking, slap boxing and walking with one’s hands. The powers that be wary of the enslaved practising martial arts, banned the Capoeira. But it would find a rebirth in football through the Ginga. The Ginga (literally meaning rocking back and forth) is the fundamental footwork of Capoeira. They would continue practising the Capoeira through the ground movements of Ginga in the pretence of being totally focused on playing football not knowing they were developing a style that would conquer the football world for generations.

Capoeira or the Dance of War by Johann Moritz Rugendas, 1825.

The British may rightfully claim to be the originators of football with its present set of rules globally, and the game was indeed introduced to Brazil by a Scotsman (Thomas Donohoe) but it’s the Brazilians who took the game to another supernatural dimension through Ginga. The British founding the game in Kenya is also not in doubt, Mombasa Sports Club as a platform for the growth of the game as we’ve seen, came to be from the wily British way of having natives of lands they colonised ‘hospitably’ offering their land to them. But there’s a mystery or a missing link somewhere, the British style is too workman-like and rigid for them to have been the proponents of the brand of football played in Mombasa and its environs. My sentimental self prefers the freed slaves from Mozambique link. The CMS boys might not have beaten the British with a refined Ginga style, but they certainly could have with athleticism and natural flair born from their upbringing around Capoeira/Engolo practice.

I know some fanatics of Gor Mahia F.C (who I support) and AFC Leopards would probably ask, if Coastal football has such a rich heritage why is it that it is they who went on to dominate Kenyan football and not teams from the Coast? My answer would be that Coastal dominance was definitely witnessed on the national football scene even though short-lived. The now defunct Feisal F.C (founded in 1940) won the Kenyan Premier League in 1965, on the 3rd year of the league’s formation. They shared a great rivalry with Liverpool F.C Mombasa (which was later renamed Mwenge), with Liverpool F.C Mombasa finishing second to Feisal F.C when they won the Kenyan Premier League in 1965.

Feisal FC as 1941 Mombasa District Soccer League Champions. Photo Courtesy of Coastweek magazine/Hassan Allui Sheriff.

In 1958 Liverpool Mombasa won the coveted Kenya FA Cup. Former Mayor of Mombasa Rajab Sumba (third from the back row) is seen with Joe Gonsalves, Goalkeeper Albert Castanha, Effie Antao, Joe Fernandes. On the floor are Riziki and Amrani Shiba. The European with the glasses is Gary Coventry who at the time was the President of the Mombasa District Soccer Association. Long time Mombasa sports fan Alihussein Namaji recalls that the team included Chuba, Hamisi, Toto, Msuo, Nasir Doran, Robert Samuel and Hassan Zima Taa. Former players and officials for Liverpool included Msuo Mohamed, Sare, Hassan Zima Taa, Kefa, Wilbert Scooter, Robert Samuel, Lucas Remedios, Tony Masky, Ray Hough, Juma Ferunzy and Babangia.

Liverpool F.C Mombasa posing with the Kenya FA Cup,now the Gotv Shield, in 1958. Source: Coastweek magazine.

While Feisal were predominantly Swahili, Liverpool had an Indian and Goan influence (Goa itself was ruled by the Portuguese for four and a half centuries, giving another possible angle of shared cultures between the Portuguese colonies, through trade both in goods and humans). Setting the tone for the kind of community rivalry that propels the growth of football in a country, think Liverpool and Everton in England or Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards would follow suit. Feisal F.C and Liverpool F.C Mombasa’s influence transcended the club scene, they provided key players to Kenya’s national side. Liverpool F.C Mombasa’s great Goan goalkeeper and captain Albert Castanha, nicknamed ‘The Cat’, represented Kenya in both football and athletics. He is widely regarded as the greatest all-round Kenyan athlete of Goan ancestry. Feisal F.C gave to the nation the dynamic duo of Ali Sungura and Ali Kajo. Ali Kajo notably scored the last goal for Kenya Colony and the first goal for the new Republic of Kenya. They are just a few examples of the players from the two clubs that went on to represent the nation, I will hopefully highlight more.

“Then there was Ali Kajo who played at the centre…everyone knew he was lazy and hated to run. The rest of the team just fed him the ball as he grudgingly ran to the edge of the penalty area, where if it was given to him on the plate, two to three feet from his right leg, he could kick it so sweetly it would fly five feet off the ground and even burst through the older fraying parts of the net. The crowd would go wild even as the ground staff rushed to darn the net.” Ali Kajo as described by Hartman de Souza (a Goan who lived in Kenya as a boy in the 1950s and 1960s) in his memoirs featured in Cyprian Fernandes’ ‘Stars Next Door’.

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The reason why the Coastal dominance of the football scene was short-lived is up for debate but I suspect that the hands-on British influence on the game locally, that came a few decades after Mr. James A. C. Burke and his Mombasa Football Club of the 1930s, could have played a part. Ray Bachelor, an Englishman, became Kenya’s first manager in 1961 and would later manage Nakuru AllStars, leading them to winning the inaugural Kenyan Premier League in 1963. This was a time British football was thriving, with England winning the World Cup in 1966, Celtic from Scotland winning the European Cup (now the Champions League) in 1967 and England’s Manchester United winning it the year after. With the pragmatic British style of efficiency over exuberance reaping rewards, it could be that Ray Bachelor laid the ground for dismissing the flamboyance of Coastal football as an effective way of winning. It could also be that those who were picked for the national side from the Coast were asked to drop their mesmerizing Ginga lest their places went to someone else, and would probably slowly rub the loss in identity to their teammates back at club level when they went back. Even at club level British influence gradually increased with Feisal F.C even having a Scotsman among their ranks leading up to the 1960s, Jimmy Linden, an expatriate who worked as a technical manager at the cement factory in Bamburi and went on to be capped by the Kenya national team. Linden is remembered by Hartman de Souza as a hit with the crowd adept at playing the ball further forward and jumping over tackles to get to it, the crowd nicknamed him Beberu, in a fond way. Feisal F.C’s solitary league title win in 1965 was sadly Coastal football in its dying embers. It remains the one and only league win by a team from the Coast, to date.

The flamboyant football and talent in Mombasa remains in abundance but I feel it’s the belief that the style can indeed conquer all on the national scene once again that is gone. If I never get to see a league title won by a Coastal team in my lifetime, at least I am certain of one thing, I will always be presented with the chance to use Twahir Muhiddin’s words, “Japo wametufunga, vyenga tuliwala”.

The article was made possible in no small part thanks to:

• Coastweek Magazine and Cyprian Fernandes writing on the Goan influence in Liverpool F.C Mombasa.

• Mombasa Sports Club’s detailed history.

• Ginga and Capoeira history detailed here by Amrisha Parashar: https://www.redbull.com/in-en/ginga-%E2%80%93-the-brazilian-lifestyle#:~:text=The%20origins%20of%20this%20football,came%20from%20Angola%20and%20Mozambique.

• Historian Dr. Desch-Obi detailing Capoeira and its origins.

• Hartman de Souza memoirs in Cyprian Fernandes’ ‘Stars Next Door’: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scroll.in/article/883054/as-a-goan-child-growing-up-in-kenya-in-the-1950s-i-saw-football-change-and-history-being-made

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Mombasa's finest men and women in sport

 

Mombasa's finest men and women in sport!

ATHLETICS:

Allan Noronha Tito    D’Souza Joe Rodrigues Bruno D’Souza George D’Costa Albert Castanha Seraphino Antao Joe  Faria

Athlete of the Century: Albert  Castanha

LADIES ATHLETICS:

Meldrita Laurent Viegas Winnie D’Souza

Laura Ramos

Athlete of the Century: Meldrita  Laurent Viegas

BADMINTON:

Valence Dantes Philo D’Cunha Newton D’Costa Joe Fernandes Jerry Soares Agnes Correa  Stars of The Century: Valance Dantes

Philo D’Cunha Newton D’Costa

TENNIS:

Mrs  Rideau Mrs L Noronha Mr M A Vienna John Monteiro Star of the Century: M A Vienna

FOOTBALL:

Joe Gonsalves Albert Castanha Effie Antao

Tony Masky Eugene  Mendes

Procopio Fernandes George D’Souza

A S S Figueira

Star of the Century: Procopio Fernandes

Liverpool stars: (Dedicated to one of my fans: Mwarabu)

In 1958 Liverpool Mombasa won the coveted Kenya FA Cup. Former Mayor of Mombasa Rajab Sumba (third from the back row) is seen with Joe Gonsalves, Goalkeeper Albert Castanha, Effie Antao, and Joe Fernandes. On the floor are Riziki and Amrani Shiba. The European with the glasses is Gary Coventry who at the time was the President of the Mombasa District Soccer Association. Long-time Mombasa sports fan Alihussein Namaji recalls that the team included Chuba, Hamisi, Toto, Msuo, Nasir Doran, Robert Samuel and Hassan Zima Taa. Former players and officials for Liverpool included Msuo Mohamed, Sare, Hassan Zima Taa, Kefa, Wilbert Scooter, Robert Samuel, Lucas Remedios, Tony Masky, Ray Hough, Juma. Ferunzy and Babangia.

Feisal Football Club: Babu Lalji, Salim Antar, Salim Tumbo, Zeida Awadh, Baates and Amiilio Jum.  Kibwana “Wembley”, Mohamed Mbarak, Sheikh Mohamed Ali Said Mandry, Sheikh Mahfudh (patron), Said Khamis “Kibriti”,  Mdenge, Abdulqadir Antar “Imu”, Maalim Abbas, Ahmed “Al-Qumry, Hyder “Madagascar”, Shebe Abushiri.

There were many other Mombasa "stars" of sport that I was not able to dig out.

 

WOMEN’S HOCKEY:

Phila Fernandes Sylvia Fernandes

Melissa Castellino Pereira Ida Pires

Laura Ramos Winnie D’Souza Bertha Pinto Jane Sequeira

Wilma Nazareth D’Souza Star of the Century: Phila Fernandes

MEN’S HOCKEY:

Jerome Monteiro Joe Rodrigues Adolf Dias Michael Texeira Zachary D’Souza A  B Rego Jos D’Souza Newton D’Costa Albert Castanha Walter Castanha Michael Pereira Reynolds Pereira Tony Masky Benny Carvalho Nicholas Pereira George D’Costa

Michael Fernandes Patrick Martins Alu Pereira Anthony Pinto Albert D’Souza (Patch) Raphael Fernandes Joe Faria Luis Castellino Mario Fernandes Mervyn D’Souza Raju Babla Wilfred D’Souza Leslie Pinto Sylvano Pinto Carlos  D’Silva D B Fonseca Warren Pereira Maxie Vaz Star of the Century: Michael Pereira

SNOOKER  AND BILLIARDS:

Raffie Rebello Steve D’Souza JP  De  Souza Yes Pea Pereira Araf Butt Rahim Babulal Mike D’Souza Cornelius  D’Souza

Star of the Century: Raffie  Rebello

CRICKET:

Anthony Pinto Adolf Dias Steve D’Souza Harold George Peter George Michael Texeiera Luis Castelino Joe Fernandes Mervyn D’Souza Joe Rodrigues Tony Masky John D’Souza Tony Fernandes Sam  D’Souza Alu Pereira Gerson Pereira S C A Fernandes L  C  D’Souza Max Monteiro Jimmy Carvalho Victor Fernandes Peter Cordeiro Raul Sama Angelo D’Souza Eddie D’Souza Michael Tavares Star of the Century: Adolf Dias

The above selections were made to mark the centenary celebrations of the Institute

Mombasa  Goan Institute

MELDRITA VIEGAS: She did not know it at the time, but as she ran each morning         to catch the bus to elementary school she  was  actually  training  for  a  special  future: athletics. In those very early days, her friends were calling her Never Say     Die. Her competitive athletics career actually began in Mombasa  at  the  Sacred  Heart High School in the inter-school athletics meetings. Then there were  those special days when  the  whole  of  Mombasa  it  seemed  was  abuzz  with  athletics:  GI Easter Sports, Empire Days Sports and the Coast  Championships.  The  Easter Sports attracted runners from Nairobi and other parts of Kenya. The competition   was  fierce.

Meldrita competed in the 100 yards, the 200 yards and the long jump. She also ran the first or anchor leg for the 4X100 yards relay. During her reign as champion for 10 years, Meldrita held the Coast records for the 100 yards, 200 yards. She also held the Kenya record at the time for the 100 yards clocking 11.4 seconds. She held both the Coast and Kenya record for the long jump for a long period.   For 10 years she was always first in each of her three pet events. She retired in 1962 as the Queen of the Track at the Coast.

Laura Ramos: an outstanding sprinter.  Juanita  Ramos  nee  Noronha:  another fine sprinter. Winnie D’Souza: won the Kenya 100 yards in 1956. And there was Phila Fernandes who was also a strong competitor.

MEN

JOE RODRIGUES: A member of the football  team,  he  also  represented  the  Coast in athletics. He was holder of the 100 yards record of 10 seconds. He      once equaled the British 100 yards record of 9.6 but it was not ratified on a time- keeping technicality.

BRUNO DE SOUZA: Main events were the 440 yards and the 880 yards.

ALCINO RODRIGUES: His pet event was the 440 yards, the quarter mile. Represented the Coast over a long period. Reigned supreme.

ALFRED VIANA: Held the shot put and discus records at  the  Coast  for  many years. Big moments came when he was represented the Coast the in the 1958 Kenya championships and Kenya in the 1957 East Africa Championships.

JOE FARIA: Another truly outstanding Coast sprinter. Part of the 4X100 yards   relay team at the Kenya championships in Kisumu.

ALLAN NORONHA: First Victor Ludorum at Mombasa, excelling in the sprints,   long jumps, high jump and the triple jump.

GEORGE DA COSTA: Won the mile for three consecutive years.

Others who represented the Mombasa Goan institute included: Eddie Soares, Tony Castanha, Tito De Souza, Bernie Carvalho, Monte Fernandes, and Jos. P. Rodrigues.

HOCKEY LADIES

LAURA RAMOS: A stunning athlete with speed to burn. She flew down the left wing for many years.

PHILA FERNANDES: Reckoned to be  one  of  the  best.  Began  as  a  centre  half but moved to inside right. Great stick work made her a regular goal scorer. Captained  the team.

CYBIL CAISTER (NEE CORREIA): A solid full back. Played for many years. MELISSA PEREIRA (NEE CASTELINO): Played as centre half or full back for  many years.

JOANITA RAMOS (NEE NORONHA): A very useful player on the left wing. BERTHA PINTO: Centre half, wore the club colours for many years.

JANE SEQUEIRA: Yet another centre half.

WILMA DE SOUZA (NEE NAZARETH): Full back.   Solid for a number of years.

IDA PIRES: Full back. A very well-known player, with Ida Pires formed an unbeatable  back line.

WINNIE DE SOUZA: A forward for many years. SILVIA FERNANDES: Centre forward.

HOCKEY MEN’S 1930 – 1940s

MAXI VAZ:  Half-back: one of the icons of hockey in the 1940s. He played for   Gold Medal winning Indian team in the London Olympics in 1948. Maxi played alongside some of the greatest names in Indian hockey history including Dhyan Chand, Leo Pinto, Walter De Souza, Babu and others. He also played for what    are perhaps the best known Goan hockey teams, the Lusitanians of Mumbai.  Maxi came to Kenya in 1952 played out his career with the MGI.

BENNY   CARVALHO:   Centre-half.        Another  great  player  in  hockey’s  history. Captained  MGI,  captained  Kenya  against  All  India  in  1948  and  he  was loved

and respected not only for his hockey skills but also for the fact that he was a gentleman both on and off the field.

A.B. REGO: All-rounder. Played for the MGI for many years.

1940s  – 1950s

JEROME S. MONTEIRO: Played for MGI for 15 years, captain for five, the Coast      XI and captained against All India 1948. Played for a Kenya-Uganda XI against Pakistan and against a Tata XI. An all-rounder who excelled at soccer and cricket  as well.

JOE T. RODRIGUES: All-rounder. Stamina, speed, great ball control, body swerves, brilliant passing skills, made him a goal scoring hockey natural.

MICHAEL PEREIRA: Another of those MI hockey immortals. Having repped MGI, Coast and Kenya, he had the honour of captaining all three. He represented  Kenya at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Michael also coached the MGI women’s hockey team.

FRANKLYN PEREIRA: According to  Cyprian  Fernandes,  Franklyn  was  perhaps  the greatest hockey player never to have worn the Kenya colours at an Olympics. Fernandes had campaigned hard  for  his  selection  without  success.  Franklyn was a born goal scorer with the dribbling skills reserved for only the greatest in the game. One example of this came when he played for East African against a powerful Tata XX: he collected the ball from the centre of the field, dribbled his way through a host of defenders and scored a solo goal that etched deeply in the memories of those who saw him play and the oral history of hockey at the Kenya Coast. In the process of scoring that solo goal, Franklyn beat the legendary India goalkeeper Leo Pinto. Brilliant.

WALTER CASTANHA: Full-back. A tough, hard player who combined with Wilfred De Souza (Shiri) to build an unbreachable defence. “The ball, but the man does,” was their motto. He earned every accolade at the Coast and once came close       to national honours. He was reckoned as the best defender of all time at the Coast.

WILFRID  DE  SOUZA  (SHIRI):   An  attacking  full-back  also  played  for  the  Coast

XI. Remembered for his fine stick  work.

ALBERT DE SOUZA: Known as “Patch”. A fine  player.

TONY MASCARENHAS: A brave and daring player. MGI, Coast XI.

J.N. DE SOUZA: MGI. Remembered for his contributions to the Easter Sports programme and sport in general. MGI club sports secretary for many years.

ALBAN FERNANDES: Played for Dar es Salaam (1940s-1960s) and the national team against visiting Indian and Pakistani teams. Represented East Africa and   also captained the team at one stage. In 1965, Alban came to Kenya where captained coached the Coast Xl. On return to Tanzania, he was appointed  National Cricket Coach. In Canada, he was appointed head coach for the Alberta Junior Team.

NICHOLAS PEREIRA: Goalkeeper. Captain MGI and played for the  Coast  XI  against  All India.

MICHAEL TEIXEIRA: MGI. Captained Uganda and  East  Africa  against  All  India and also played against Pakistan Rovers in 1952.

GEORGE DA COSTA: Centre Half.  Also played for the Coast XI.  MOMBASA GOAN INSTITUTE (MGI) Hockey representatives 1950—1960s

LESLIE  PINTO:  Inside  forward.  Played  or  MGI,  Coast  and  Kenya.    A delightful

“stick”player, exceptionally fast.

SILVANO PINTO: Half back, MGI, and Coast XI.

WALTER CARDOSO: One of the finest centre-halves the MGI produced. A great motivator of fellow players. Captained the Coast XI. Trialed  for  Kenya.

LUIS CASTELINO: Goalkeeper. MGI, Coast and trialed for Kenya.

ANTHONY VAZ: Originally from Nairobi, moved to Mombasa.  Flag  bearer  at  the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Always rated among the greats of  the  game.  A  very gentle man, with an eternal smile. MGI.

PRITAM SINGH SANDHU: One of the great centre forwards of our time. MGI, GI. Combined brilliantly with Franklyn Pereira. MGI,  Coast.

1960-1970s

REYNOLDS PEREIRA: Inside forward: Learnt to play at the Goan High School, Mombasa. Later he played for the Falcons before joining MGI. He was one the youngest players  to  play  for  Kenya,  1968  Olympics  Mexico  City.  Also  played at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and the World Cup in Amsterdam (1973). He represented Kenya in several international events. He was awarded the trophy   for the Highest Goal Scorer at the Coppa International Cup i9n 1977. A speedy

player with great stick work.

RAJU BABLA: Goalkeeper, MGI, Coast XI and was selected to play for Kenya. Excellent reflexes and timing. His first love, however, was cricket and he was on the brink of selection of India.

RUI SALDANHA: Forward. One of the first Asians to play  for  Great  Britain.  GI  Nairobi, Hornets. A brilliant player to watch.

1970-1980s

RAPHAEL FERNANDES: Full-back. Boabab Hockey Club, Coast  XI.  Olympian.  Rapha was vice captain of the national team. Represented Kenya in the Rene Frank Gold Cup Madras, 1979; Mini Olympics, Montreal Olympics 1979, Inter- Continental Cup in Rome 1977, the Esanda World Cup in Perth, Australia, 1979 and travelled to Zimbabwe and Zambia for a Test series. Was the winner of the “Player of the Year” award in 1977. Also selected for the Moscow Olympics 1980 and the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

MARIO FERNANDES: Inside forward. Represented MGI, Coast XI and Kenya. A prolific goal scorer with great speed, stick work and an uncanny ability to scoop the ball into the goal. Played against Pakistan and trialed for Montreal.

TONY CASTANHA: Inside forward, winger. MGI, Baobab, Coast XI. Was a member of Baobab which was the only team from the coast to win the prestigious M R De Souza Gold Cup which was usually dominated by upcountry teams.

PATRICK MARTINS: Inside forward. Capped in 1974 for the All Africa Championships in Cairo, picking up a bronze medal. Played in the Mini Olympics  in 1975. Also played in the Inter-Continental  Cup  in  Rome,  Esanda  Cup  in  Perth, Australia, 1979 and toured India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Indonesia.

MICHAEL FERNANDES: Centre Half. Captained MGI and the Coast XI for many years. Played for the Goa XI in the Indian inter-state competitions. Played for Kenya in the Inter-Continental Cup in Rome 1977. Was selected for Kenya, but could not travel to Zimbabwe and Zambia.

WALTER DE SOUZA: Played for the MI and then moved to Nakuru where he represented the Rift Valley. Capped to play for Kenya in the Inter-Continental Cup in  Rome 1977.

TED KABETU: All-rounder, MI, Coast. Opportunist.

ALVITO ABREU: GI, Coast XI. Assistant GM Kenya team to Cairo and judge and Assistant Technical Director All Africa Games in Nairobi 1987.

AARON FERNANDES: Played for GI. Later moved  to  UK,  played  for  GB  under 21s. Capped by Canada at the Los Angeles Olympics.

TEDDY GOMES: Played for GI Kisumu, repped  Nyanza.

VICTOR MPAGA: First African to join MI. Later moved to Baobab. Coast XI.

CHRISTOPHER DE SOUZA: Played in Goal for MI and also represented Coast   XI.

In the 1980s the following players were associated with the MI: Milton Fernandes, Rosario Barretto, Melvin Fernandes, Neville De  Souza,  Iqbal  Sheikh,  Avinash Dholakia,   and   Ashok Weeraratna.

1990s: Carlo Da Silva, Warren Pereira, Joseph Mascarenhas, Solomon Omondi, Edmund Hawai, Angelo Pereira.

WARREN PEREIRA: 1985: short corner specialist: awarded the “best upcoming player” by the Coast Hockey Association. Represented Kenya from 1989 to 1996. Played in the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup where Kenya won bronze after losing to Holland. In 1996, in the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, Kenya was beaten in the final by the hosts. Selected MI sportsman of the year eight times.

SOLOMON OMONDI: Selected for Kenya for the All Africa Games in Zimbabwe. Other MI players over the years have been: Joe (ESSO) Fernandes, Joe Faria, Anthony (Antu) Pinto, Alu Pereira, Alvito Abreu, Bonny Fernandes, Bob Zuzarte, Francis Lobo, Harold George D’Souza, Zeno De Souza,  Jose  De  Souza,  Adolf  Dias, Zachary De Souza,  Newton  Da  Costa,  Jos  P. Rodrigues,  B.  De  Souza, Christy Pereira, Noel Fernandes, Veron De Souza, Maria Pereira (nee De Souza), Amy Fernandes, Doris Fernandes, Nifa Fernandes, Justin Dourado, Bonny Fernandes.

SOCCER 1940s – 1950s

PROCOPIO FERNANDES: Began his football career in Goa where he played left   half for his school and was responsible for some splendid victories. When he  came to Africa, he brought his footy boots along and his knowledge and skill of the game won him many fans and recognition.  He was selected to play for the  rep side Asians XI. Unfortunately, he broke his leg and was sidelined for a while. Later he played fullback and in the goal just before he retired.

EUGEN MENDES: A steady full back for the club and Asians XI.

EFFIE ANTAO: Forward. A goal scoring machine, one of the hardest kickers or     the ball, a smasher of goal nets, and all this when most of the time he played in defence. Effie played for the MGI in all their major tournaments. You were always assured of plenty of thrills and an object lesson to watch him play. It was not surprising then that he was appointed captain of Coast Province Association side in 1955. He was also a member of the all-conquering Liverpool FC side.

GEORGE DE SOUZA: In Nairobi, he played for the most successful Goan team ever, Nairobi Heroes where he earned a huge reputation as a skilful player. In Mombasa, he played with MGI.

GEORGE DA COSTA: Centre  half  and played in many victorious tournaments for the MGI.

WALTER CASTANHA: Full back, a rock in defence. Great to watch.

WILLIE LOBO: Played good football for the Kisumu Hot Stars. Also played cricket and hockey for Nyanza Province. A member of MGI.

1950s  – 1960s

JOE GONSALVES: JOE Gonsalves was a young soccer player and athlete in Mombasa at a time when the Kenyan coastal capital was blessed with some         of the greatest Goan sporting heroes of our time: First there was the greatest      of them all, the Commonwealth Games double sprint gold medalist, Seraphino Antao, Albert Castanha (the finest all-round sportsman),  Joe  Faria  (sprinter), Jack Fernandes (sprinter), Laura Ramos  (sprinter),  Franklyn  Pereira  (hockey),  Joe Fernandes  (soccer),  Tony Masky  (soccer),  George  Da  Costa  (soccer), Wilfred D’Souza (soccer), Leslie Pinto (hockey), Silvano Pinto (hockey), Michael Fernandes (hockey), Reynolds Pereira (hockey), Alan Noronha (sprinter, hockey), Michael Fernandes (Hockey Olympian 1956), Anthony Pinto (cricketer), Ernest Vianna (spectacular tennis player), Xavier Vianna (tennis), Alcino Rodrigues (400 metres specialist), Effie Antao (sensational soccer goal scorer). There were many others, too, and whose names have faded just as much as my own memory continues to fade with time. God Bless ‘em all.

TONY MASCARENHAS (Masky): As a very young schoolboy it was clear to all those who watched him that he was born for greater things. He was outstanding at soccer, hockey and cricket and he could have been a champ at netball, volleyball or anything else he might have tried his hand at. He was that talented.

After finishing high school in 1961, he caught his first big break as a key player    for the outstanding Goan Nairobi Heroes side in the National League in Nairobi.

He was an absolutely stunning goal poacher with his head or with his boot. In   one match, against Samia United, he scored 9 out of the 10 Heroes’ goals… a record that may have stood the test of time. The following year he returned to Mombasa and was signed by Liverpool which by then had changed its name to Mwenge to be politically correct. All seems a bit silly, then and now. It was not long before he was selected to play for Kenya against the professional English side West Bromwich Albion which was touring Kenya at the time.

EFFIE ANTAO: Full-back. A goal-scoring machine from free-kicks, one of the hardest kickers or the ball, a smasher of goal nets, and all this when most of the time he played in defence. Effie played for the MGI in all their major tournaments. You were always assured of plenty of thrills and an object lesson to watch him play. It was not surprising then that he was appointed captain of Coast Province Association side in 1955. He was also a member of the all-conquering Liverpool   FC  side.

GEORGE DE SOUZA: In Nairobi, he played for the most successful Goan team ever, Nairobi Heroes where he earned a huge reputation as a skilful player. In Mombasa, he played with MGI.

GEORGE DA COSTA: Centre  half  and played in many victorious tournaments for the MGI.

WALTER CASTANHA: Full back, a rock in defence. Great to watch. 1960s

LUIS CASTELINHO, BENNY CARVALHO, JOE (MGONJWA) FERNANDES also

played for the MGI. Joe went on to play for Liverpool FC.