With stand at Nehru Stadium, Monte Cruz finally gets his due

Margao: Almost five years after an assurance in the state Assembly, the state govt delivered on its promise to name a stand at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda after Francisco Monte Cruz, who as sports minister was responsible for the construction of the stadium in a record time of just eight months.The foundation stone for the construction was laid on May 30, 1988, while the stadium was inaugurated on Jan 19, 1989, just in time to host the Nehru Cup, an international football tournament held here for the first time.“Monte Cruz’s contribution to football in Goa is immense,” chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Tuesday. “His dedication in building this stadium is there for all to see, and we are naming this main stand in recognition of his contribution."A two-time legislator from Benaulim constituency, Monte Cruz passed away last year.He was obsessed with the idea of Goa having an international stadium, when he was appointed the sports minister in the late eighties.It was Monte Cruz who assured the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that the stadium would be built within a year and requested them to allot the Nehru Cup to Goa. Impressed with his confidence, the federation agreed to hold the next tournament in Goa, with the condition that they would conduct periodic inspections and only give the final approval subject to the progress of work.

Alberto Colaco, the then secretary of the Goa Football Association (GFA), was asked to monitor the work.“Work was progressing at quick pace and Monte Cruz was there everyday, from early morning till late night,” remembered Colaco. “One morning, I could not find him and everyone was unusually relaxed, doing little work. I was later told that the sports minister’s father had passed away.“When I went to his house to condole, the first question Monte Cruz asked was: is the work going on? Go and tell them I will come during the day, and they better be doing their job.”The stadium was eventually constructed in a record time of less than eight months, at an estimated cost of Rs 9.3 crore.