Imagine a piece of land with a football club every 16 square kilometres! That’s Goa for you with its 233 registered clubs and even an Indian Super League franchise. And in case if it is of any help Goa is 411 villages so there’s a Club in virtually every village. And that does not count the number of school and college teams, the (now growing) women’s teams, the second and third division teams of the top clubs in Goa. So why and how did a small state like Goa turn into a kicksters paradise.

When the priests took to football at the Seminary, a unique model of dissemination and grassroots-isation of the beautiful game happened at the turn of the twentieth century. The significance of the clergy players at the seminary was that they took football to whichever villages they went to serve. And so football quickly found its way into rural areas down and away from the urban centre where it was introduced. The priests almost with missionary zeal took football to the village set up in Goa or Gaunkari (later called Communidade) – the ancient village republics of Goa which were pre-existing organisations with experience in mobilising the local population for community matters. These organisations worked closely with the clergy on education and health matters.

In 1910 when more than 85% of Goa lived in villages, the climate was well suited to the formation of local football teams by enthusiastic clergy and the villagers alike. Democracy and football grew together across generations over 125 odd years.

Today, Goa plays football across four levels formally. The premier league is the Goa Professional League consisting of 12 clubs. Then there is the First Division consisting of 14 clubs, the Second Division consisting of 79 clubs subdivided under Ilhas, Salcete, Bardez & Mormugao Zones and Third Division consisting of 128 clubs that are further divided as the Second Division. And oh yes! They are on the pitch and not just on paper. The neighbouring Dando (unused field or ground) is not just the grooming ground but the birthplace of the future politician, the critique and of course, the thought leader.