Re-living their age-old dream

“We have known each other for more than 25 years now,ever since we moved into the same building,which is hardly a couple hundred meters from the ground. And there is nothing better than sitting here and watching the youngsters battle it out,” says D’Silva,who was a bank employee till 1985,when he retired.

Castellino,who retired as a motorman after 30 long years in service,reveals that apart from football,the couple-odd hours that the two thick friends spend at the St Xavier’s ground,also provides them with the best opportunity to talk about other current affairs from around the world. “There are also other regulars who come here and we all get together and chat about the various issues concerning the world at the moment. Sometimes the discussions can even get a bit too spicy but at our age it is unlikely that they will go out of hand,” says the cheerful Castellino.

And surprisingly current affairs also means ‘cricket’,which historically has been a sport detested by Goans,for whom everything starts and ends with football. “At what score did New Zealand finish the day? I saw they were around 60-odd for six,” asks D’Silva. He adds that though the ‘beautiful sport’ is very much his first,second and third love,cricket too has its place. “Especially when the country is playing it is important to keep a tab on their performances. The sport is so big in the country,and I don’t think it is responsible for other sports not coming up,” ascertains Castellino.

“Hey,look at that striker. That is the sixth chance he has missed today,” shouts D’Silva,the older of the two men,suddenly. It may have been more than 40 years since he adorned his football shoes and shot at the goal himself,but the lack of finishing prowess exhibited by one of the young strikers in front of him,certainly doesn’t seem to fit well with the former Goan Sports Association (GSA) player.

But it is not the wasted chances that incite the more angry responses from the die-hard football fans though,and the nastiest of winces are reserved more for the ugly tackles and the unnecessary jostling between opposition players. “The game is not decent anymore and the standards have also dropped. Even the other day two boys started literally hitting each other after falling to the ground,” says Castellino. The former HDFC Bank employee believes that though there are still a huge number of boys who play football in the city,none of them really seem to possess the love that used to be so rampant during his heydays. “It has become a bit too physical these days,where the basics have been pushed to the background,” he says.

And what is it that provides the duo with the biggest thrill? “It is getting to meet former Indian goalkeeper Babu Narayanan,who kept in the 1956 Olympics,almost everyday and reliving the golden era of the sport in the country,” says Castellino,who speaks fondly of having watched Narayanan in his prime. “And Tony (Rodrigues) also asks us to present the man-of-the-match awards at the end of match,which is a great feeling,” says D’Silva.