Hockey and football player: Rest in peace Captain Christopher Gavin Coutinho

 

Hockey player: Rest in peace Captain Christopher Gavin Coutinho

By Armstrong Vaz

My first encounter with Christopher Gavin Coutinho was watching him in action on the make shift hockey field of Chowgule College Margao, during our student days.

That was in the late 80 and early 90’s a lot has changed in terms of the facilities at Chowgule College.  The ground were we played football, cricket hockey and also indulged in athletics events now hosts an artificial football surface, which was the first one in the state when it was installed in 2006. Now many artificial football surface of various shapes and sizes have surfaced in the state.

Coming to the ground and to hockey I do remember Christopher and his elder brother Boris along with Volusiano Dourado and not forgetting our George Goes, were some of the regular faces who practiced hockey on the pebble laden grounds ahead of the intercollegiate action.

The same pebble laden grounds which we played football and cricket with the likes of Ranji trophy player and our captain Jude Cardozo and Surendra Dessai and our state level footballers Saby Antao and Feliciano Menezes.

For the Coutinho brothers Gavin and Boris, the bond with hockey has been a continuous journey and it was no stopping back even after their left college and took jobs.

“He was tough and robust Goalkeeper. He played in the goal for Don Bosco School Matunga Mumbai, Spiders Hockey Club Margao, Chowgule College, Regular Coaching Centre (RCC) Fatorda during his prime days,” recalls Volusiano Dourado.

The Coutinho’s are originally from Millevaddo, Cuncolim but were some time based in Mumbai and then came back and settled in Housing Board Margao.

Gavin made it a point to pull on the hockey jersey and make it to the hockey field playing for Margao United team and he did not mind making the long journey from his home in Margao to Peddem in Mapusa to keep the hockey fires burning.

“He played as forward for Margao United team when we won the Goa league in 2010. Since then he was our regular player whenever he was in Goa.”

His recent pictures and videos of his playing hockey which have since been posted on various WhatsApp group and social media prove this undying love for the game, which is not so popular in the state but has been kept flying high in the state by the likes of Gavin and the dedicated warriors like
Father Dominic Alvares, Alex Remedios and others like Volusiano Dourado, Glestone Fernandes who have nothing to do with official custodians of the game Goans Hockey.

And thanks to the inspiration and a role model in front of him his son Cyrus is also playing hockey and continuing his legacy.

“His son plays for Kings School, Margao,” added Volusiano Dourado.

The hockey family will certainly will miss you and will be poor sans your absence but hopefully it will inspire many young guns to take to the sport in Goa and make it popular.

Your toil and sacrifices on the hockey field will be remembered for long from the journey which started from your school days to the College level and a journey which you continued till this date.

You were the few champion of Goan hockey not for the awards and prizes you won but for the passion and dedication for the game, which went unmatched.

And he played football too and was part of the Chowgule College football team which lost to arch rivals Damordar in the Goa University inter collegiate football final, says USA-based Salle Travasso, brother of former Salgaocar Sports Club player Anthony (Tony) Travasso from Sao Jose Areal.

May the soul of Captain Christopher Gavin Coutinho, Rest in Peace.

Condolences to the family.

Jason Almeida brings a slice of Goa to UK via Potyo restaurant

 

Jason Almeida brings a slice of Goa to UK via Potyo restaurant

The restaurant has quite a few artefacts from Goa including paintings by Mario Miranda in all the dining rooms.

Restaurant has introduced flavoured feni on its menu

London, United Kingdom: People of Goa are revered all over the world to be amazing hosts for their guests. Taking care of guests and ensuring they spend the best times of their lives is in the blood of Goans, a trait which has been passed from one generation to another.

To be hospitable is drilled at a very young age to children this is exactly what a young Jason Almeida and his brother Jolan learnt from his Mapusa-born parents.

The Almeida brothers are one of the many Goan brand ambassadors who are keeping the Goan flag high in the hospitality industry.

Doha-based Jolan works as a Food and Beverage Manager for a leading hotel in Qatar while Jason’s UK restaurant Potyo located in the heart of Wilmslow Town Centre welcomes the guests to experience the traditional coastal Indian feast with shades of Goa thrown in a large measure.

 “The food is inspired by traditional dishes from Goa, Kerala and Karnataka but over time we will introduce dishes also from the East Coast of India,” says Jason, who studied at the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM), Goa and thereafter started his chef career at the Taj group of hotels in India.

After working for a few years in India and armed with the IHM education and with on the job training at the Taj Hotels, the need to explore, travel and learn about the different cuisines and experience it firsthand got the better of Jason.

He returned to Kuwait, where he was born and spent his early childhood as his parents worked for a while in the Middle East country before shifting back to Goa to start different business. The family run enterprise included a Chinese restaurant in Mapusa and it was here that Jason got a real feel of the hospitality sector and it was no stopping back.

“The biggest learnings from cruise ships and the Middle East have been working with diverse cultures hence one develops great people management skills from there on,” he reminisces about his sting on land in Kuwait and in the cruising industry,

Jason has not looked back since then and now carries a bag load of experience on his shoulders having worked in Miami, USA and in London.

“I worked on the cruise ships for 4 years, later was based out of Miami as a travelling chef for 3 years before moving to the UK and working all the way from head chef to director level for various restaurant groups,” says Jason, who runs the restaurant along with his wife Milena.

The name Potyo has a Goan connection, he explains: “Potyo means ‘a greedy boy’ in Konkani, the local language of Goa. Our brand story revolves around our son who is a little Potyo himself and loves his food. The food is inspired currently by the west coast of India.”

Explaining the key role his family has played in his and brother's forays in the hospitality industry he goes down memory lane.

“As a family we always liked dining out and since my dad started probably which back in the day was one of Goa’s best Chinese restaurants I never looked back and thought this is the industry I can best thrive in. Growing up in a family that always entertained guests, being hospitable was drilled into us at a very young age,” says the Cheshire resident of 10 years.

The restaurant has quite a few artefacts from Goa but the highlights are paintings by Goa’s famous caricature artist Mario Miranda in all the dining rooms.

Besides many things Goan dishes on the menu, customers get a chance to get a chance to sip feni in far away land.

“We have introduced flavoured feni’s by Ani Ek which have gone down well (with the customers), '' says Jason, who says there is a massive shortage of chefs in the UK.

Having firmly established his brand he is constantly looking for new opportunities to grow the brand.

“Never give up on your dreams and aspirations. I don’t believe in the word ‘best’ but always strive 'to do better'.”

His advice to aspiring chefs is: “If they have a passion and desire to excel in authentic cooking then I think they can go a long way in the UK.”