If they were born and raised in Goa, Eliza Nelson and Selma D’Silva, the two former Indian captains, did not really know whether they would make it big in hockey.
They were among the four Gouops -Margaret Toscano and Lorraine Fernandes into two others – which was part of the Indian team when the female hockey made its debut at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.
India went to Moscow with a lot of confidence, but their campaign ended with a heartbreak with the team finishing outside the medal bracket when gold was within reach.
The women took the setback in their steps and hit gold at the Asian Games two years later, with Eliza’s captain of the team.
“It’s sad that Goa hasn’t been able to produce an Olympics planted at home,” Eliza said, based in Pune.
“I know Goa has two really good girls.
Loretta (d’Souza) is a goalkeeper and there is Ana (Figueira).
They are in Indian camps with us.” For Eliza, the turning point said to join the train West in 1977.
It provides work security and exposure to competition, which makes it a much better player.
“It’s a big blessing.
These days we have passion, but you need something to keep the fire on.
There is no money, a different world,” Eliza said, who had ancestral property in Louletim, which they wanted to develop and build a house where families can remain together.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzed the world, Selma did at least three trips to Goa every year.
Indian captain at the 1983 Women’s World Cup has an ancestral home in Chandor – the birthplace of his father – and built another in Calangute.
“I never thought of this,” said Selma when asked why players who grow up at home have not been able to match their sports achievements who moved outside the country.
“At least in Bombay (now Mumbai), we have a lot of competition for school and that’s the talent looks and maintained.” After school, there was a competition at the university level, and we played tournaments throughout India.
You need several incentives to pursue the game.
Just passion is not enough.
“There are quite a lot of prizes – work or vice versa – for footballers in Goa, feels Selma, but other sports don’t get special treatment.” Football enjoys superb support.
There are tournaments everywhere, including between villages.
But the same as important has not been given to other sports, “said Selma, who was the top scorer at the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi where India won gold, a victory that changed the way women’s hockey was felt in India.
Passion is not enough, it needs support too, say Olympians
