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| Nicolas Fernandes (Nikush) |
Parting is such sweet sorrow….. These
are famous words that come to my mind as we say goodbye to one of the nicest, humblest
and gentlest person I know.
Nicolas Fernandes (Nikush as he is fondly known) the most
likable member of Indian Football Referees Association (IFRA) and a member of
KIFF affiliate AVC Sports & Cultural Association will be leaving Kuwait
shortly for greener pastures.
Hailing from Acona (Axeona) ward
in the famous village of Benaulim where many a great footballers have been
nurtured, Nicolas now 40 arrived in Kuwait in 2003 and since then has been
working faithfully for the same company,
Alghanim Al-Faham as a senior storekeeper.
He was introduced to soccer in Kuwait immediately upon arrival and joined
AVC Sports & Cultural Association as a goalkeeper, although while speaking
to him I understood that he originally played as a striker for his village team
until a knee injury forced him to take up goalkeeping.
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| Farewell Dinner at Viva Goa |
Over the years his contribution to
AVC has been immense, not only as a player but as a mentor and advisor to
younger players. If today, AVC stands at
the pinnacle of its glory having captured everything this season; Nicolas’s
contribution has certainly been a great part of it.
Nicolas joined IFRA in 2010 and says
his interest in joining the only recognized referees body in Kuwait was fueled
when he realized that he could contribute to the game by doing a job which most
people are afraid to take. Since then he has been a regular at the KIFF, KEFAK
and KAFA tournaments organized in Kuwait by various communities.
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| Nicolas (center) IFRA official |
At a dinner party hosted by IFRA on
15th April 2014 in his honor at the Viva Goa restaurant in downtown
Kuwait, the President Francis Fernandes and others including founder member Jennifer
Rodrigues, senior member Diego Rebello, General Secretary Christopher Fernandes and Sarto
Baptista paid glowing tributes to Nicolas. Francis called him the best performer and
complimented him for his ability to implement the laws of the game fairly on
the ground. Jennifer felt that Nicolas
was the most dedicated member and for him IFRA came first and everything else after
that. Diego complimented him for always
scoring over 90% in exams and said he was an example to all. Christopher thanked him for being available even
at the 11th hour when other referees were not available.
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| With AVC since 2004 |
Nicolas may not have been the
most flamboyant person on the soccer field either while officiating or pulling
off those important saves for AVC, but he got the job done and that is why I
personally admire him and felt that he deserved all the praise and for sure
this small write-up. He goes back to Goa
to spend some time with his wife and 2 sons before embarking on the next part
of his journey in life. For sure this
fine gentleman who was liked by everyone will be missed and I wish him all the
best in his future.
Julio Cardoso
Kuwait
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| Traditional Goan Fish Curry Rice was on the menu at Viva Goa |
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| Add caption |
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| Friends Nikush will miss |
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| Nikush making an emotional farewell speech |
1 comment:
All the best Nikush...God bless u n ur fly always. Thanks Julio for the write up n pixs..
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