In ‘Famously Found @15’, a documentary that tells the incredible rise of Brahmanand Shankhwalkar, the former India goalkeeper and captain recalls the first time he came face-to-face with Jose Antonio Botelho.It’s been told a few times and goes like this: Botelho had asked Brahmanand’s brother, Vallabh — a Panvel SC player — to bring along a goalkeeper for a match in Saligao since both the regulars were unavailable. Vallabh looked around in Taleigao but could find nobody. Then, he turned to his brother, whose experience was nothing more than playing in the fields from dawn to dusk.“I was just a 15-year-old kid, who turned up in school shorts, white shirt, and oversized boots wrapped inside a newspaper,” says Brahmanand of his first meeting at the ferry point in the city. “Botelho looked at me from top to bottom but did not discourage me. He could have so easily sent me home but took me for the game and even gave me the chance to play. Who knows, if Botelho did not have the guts to field me when I was nobody, my story could have been written differently.”That sums Botelho in a nutshell. He somehow read the future and had belief in youth more than anyone else. He is the reason why Goa won the Junior National football championship in 1981, Panvel created that Bandodkar Gold Trophy miracle in 1974, and earned players’ respect till the end.A four-time secretary of the Goa Football Association (GFA) and credited with many firsts, Botelho passed away on Tuesday.He was 74, just five days away from his 75th birthday, a milestone his wife, Jyoti, planned to celebrate with those who meant the world to him. It included his Panvel players, most of whom, including Shankhwalkar, kept in regular touch.In fact, just last week, Sarto Baptista, who could not attend a function to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club’s Bandodkar Gold Trophy triumph, insisted he wanted to collect the commemorative trophy only at the hands of Botelho. So, along with a few other players, he drove to Ribandar and caught up with the mentor, who, not surprisingly, was delighted to be in their company.“He was an excellent administrator and had the interest of Goan football at heart,” said Alberto Colaco, a long-time football administrator and former general secretary of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). “In 1981, when Goa won the Junior Nationals for the first time, his contribution was immense. He planned and put together the entire campaign.”Botelho’s stint with GFA started in 1974 when he was elected secretary for the first time. He held the position for three other terms, the last of which was between 1990 and 1993. During his time as secretary, he implemented many firsts and famously drafted rules for the conduct of inter-village tournaments.“Inter-village football is a good concept, but I regret making the rules,” Botelho once told TOI. “Players don’t represent their villages and migrate to other clubs, referees get beaten up.”While Botelho’s stint with GFA was memorable, he had an equally noteworthy run with Dempo SC. He joined the company (Goa Carbon Ltd) in 1989 but until 1996 had nothing to do with the football team. When the National Football League (NFL) was launched, his expertise was sought to run his eagle eye over the fine print in player contracts.In his first year as Dempo secretary, Botelho introduced transfer fees, a concept that was prevalent across the world but not practiced in India. He was also vice-chairperson of the AIFF players’ status committee.The first Brazilian coach, even the first few players from the South American nation, moved to Goa during his tenure at Dempo.“I would rate him as the best and most passionate football administrator Goa has had,” said former secretary Savio Messias. GFA vice-president Antonio Pango described Botelho’s understanding of football laws as “unparallel.”For Goan football, the loss will feel incredibly personal.
