Neville D'Souza

Neville D'Souza
D'Souza with India in the 1950s
Personal information
Full name Neville Steven Joseph D'Souza[1]
Date of birth (1932-08-03)3 August 1932[2]
Place of birth Assagao, Goa, Portuguese India
Date of death 16 March 1980(1980-03-16) (aged 47)
Place of death Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1955–1956 Goans SC[3]
1956–1958 Tata SC[3]
1958–1963 Caltex SC[3] 311 (92)
International career
1956–1962 India 15 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neville Steven Joseph D'Souza (3 August 1932 – 16 March 1980) was an Indian footballer who played as a striker.[4] During the "golden era of Indian football" under legendary coach Syed Abdul Rahim,[5][6] he was recognised one of the finest strikers of India national team having perfect eye for goal.[7][8] He appeared in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and finished the campaign as joint top scorer of the tournament with four goals, inducing a hat-trick in the quarterfinals against the hosts Australia.[9]

D'Souza was also a field hockey player, having represented various teams in both domestic and international tournaments.[2]

Hockey career

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In his playing career, D'Souza choose field hockey first and represented the teams of both St. Xavier's High School and St. Xavier's College of Bombay.[10][2] He later moved to Tata Sports Club and appeared in prestigious Beighton Cup, and won 1953 and 1954 editions in Calcutta.[10][2][11] With the club, D'Souza toured to East Africa in 1952 and scored 34 goals in 17 matches.[10] He then represented Bombay state hockey team in National Hockey Championship between 1953 and 1955.[2]

Football career

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Club career

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D'Souza began his club football career in Goan SC, before moving to Tata SC.[2] In 1958, the club clinched Nadkarni Cup title.[12][13][14] In the same year, he joined Hardwood League side Caltex SC. With the Bombay-based club, he played alongside noted Goan footballer Catao Fernandes.[15] The club had honor of becoming the first local team in 1958 to win Rovers Cup, one of the oldest football tournament in the world, in which he was part of the team led by Anthony.[16] In that final, they defeated renowned Mohammedan Sporting 3–2.[16]

Beside Caltex, D'Souza also appeared with both Tata and Goan Sports Club.[17]

International career

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D'Souza played club football for Bombay.[18] In the 1953 Quadrangular Tournament in Rangoon, he scored the winner for India against arch-rival Pakistan.[19][20] They also won the tournament in 1954[21] and 1955.

He represented his nation at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne,[22][23] and reached the semi-finals,[24] before going down 1–4 to Yugoslavia,[25][26] which is still considered India's greatest ever achievement in football.[27] Under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim, D'Souza played alongside J. Krishnaswamy, Samar Banerjee, P. K. Banerjee, and achieved fame worldwide.[28] He became the first Asian player to score a hat-trick in an Olympic Games.[29][30][31][32] D'Souza finished the tournament as joint top-scorer, with 4 goals in 3 games,[33] including a hat-trick in a 4–2 win against Australia.[34][35] Between 1956 and 1962, D'Souza scored eleven goals for India.[36]

Post-playing career

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As a player, D'Souza retired in 1963 and began his coaching career. He later became a member of the selection panel of All India Football Federation (AIFF).[2][37]

Personal life

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D'Souza was born in Assagao, Goa, on 3 August 1932. He moved to Bombay (now known as Mumbai) to complete studies.[10] He married Lyra and they had a son named Nigel and two daughters, Liesel and Fleurel.[38] Neville's brother Dereyk D'Souza was also a footballer, who represented India internationally and later managed NFL club Mahindra United.[2][39]

D'Souza died of a brain haemorrhage on 16 March 1980, in Bombay.[30]

Legacy

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Whenever I think about Indian football, his name comes to my mind. After we won, I remember the Australians calling our victory a "fluke" and demanding a rematch at Sydney after the Games ended. They were so stunned at the Olympic loss despite the home advantage that they were adamant about playing us again. We won the re-match with Neville scoring twice. Television was not around when Neville was playing for India at the Olympics and nor was video recordings possible, so people have no way of knowing how good he was in the goalmouth.

— S. S. Narayan (former Indian international; played with Neville at the 1956 Summer Olympics) on Neville D'Souza.[40]

The Mumbai Football Association began organizing U-17 Neville D'Souza Trophy for teenagers from seventeen districts in Maharashtra, which is named after him.[41]

In 2018, Neville D'Souza Football Turf (also known as 'Neville D'Souza Ground')[42][43][44] was installed within the sports complex in Bandra, which is named after him, and it was inaugurated by Aaditya Thackeray, then chairman of the Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA).[45][46]

Honours

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Hockey

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Tata Sports Club[10][2][47]

Football

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India

Caltex

Bombay

Individual

Accolades

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Soccer Weekly News (December 1956). "Thumbnail Sketches of Indian Footballers". Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Indian Football "HALL OF FAME": NEVILLE STEPHEN DeSOUZA". indianfootball.de. IndianFootball. 2003. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Shetty, Chittu (9 May 2020). "Legends of Mumbai Football: India's Olympic hero Neville D'souza". Football Counter. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Neville D'Souza". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  5. ^ Sengupta, Somnath (26 December 2010). "Legends of Indian Football: Rahim Saab". www.thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  6. ^ "আশি পেরিয়েও কোচিংয়ে প্রবীণতম অলিম্পিয়ান কোচ". eisamay.indiatimes.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Ei Samay Sangbadpatra. 25 November 2016. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022.
  7. ^ Sengupta, Somnath (13 July 2011). "Tactical Evolution of Indian Football (Part Two): Revolution Under Rahim Saab". thehardtackle.com. Kolkata: The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  8. ^ Nag, Utathya (31 January 2022). "PK, Chuni, Balaram, the troika that scripted Indian football's Golden Era". olympics.com. The Olympics. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  9. ^ Nag, Utathya (3 February 2022). "Indian football at the Olympics: The complete history". olympics.com. The Olympics. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d e "India's forgotten hero series (Part 1): Neville D'Souza — Indian Football". sports-nova.com. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  11. ^ "BEIGHTON CUP WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP (1895—2019)". www.hockeybengal.org. Kolkata: Hockey Bengal. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
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  14. ^ "Nadkarni Cup Archives". Khel Now. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
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  24. ^ "Badru Banerjee: সবুজ-মেরুনের হয়ে তুমুল সাফল্য, তবে বদ্রু মনে থাকবেন অলিম্পিক্সের জন্যেই". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Kolkata, West Bengal: Anandabazar Patrika. 20 August 2022. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
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  30. ^ a b c Nitin N. Sethi (13 January 2004). "Mumbai salutes soccer legend". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Mumbai: The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2009.
  31. ^ Nandakumar Marar (3 September 2000). "Recalling Neville's extraordinary exploits in Olympic football". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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  35. ^ Media Team, AIFF (15 August 2022). "Indian Football Down the Years: Looking back at the glorious moments". www.the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  36. ^ Subrata Dey. India - Record International Players Archived 21 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine www.rsssf.com. RSSSF. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  37. ^ P, Anand (27 July 2021). "Forgotten Hero: When Neville D'Souza nearly won India an Olympic medal in football". englisharchives.mathrubhumi.com. Thiruvananthapuram: Mathrubhumi News. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  38. ^ Sethi, Nitin N. (13 January 2004). "Mumbai salutes soccer legend Neville D'Souza". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Mumbai: The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  39. ^ "Indian Football "HALL OF FAME": DEREYK JOSEPH HYACINTH DeSOUZA". indianfootball.de. IndianFootball. 2005. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  40. ^ Srivastava, Devam (10 October 2017). "Legend Lost in Time: Neville D'Souza". www.chaseyoursport.com. Chase Your Sport. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  41. ^ Pawar, Vaibhav (18 August 2008). "Mumbai wins Neville D'Souza trophy". Mumbai: The Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  42. ^ "Champions Air India finish season unbeaten". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Mumbai: The Times of India. TNN. 4 July 2023. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
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  44. ^ Shetty, Chittu (29 October 2023). "Mumbai Premier League 2023–24: Mumbai's Best Teams Ready to Compete". footballcounter.com. Mumbai: Football Counter India. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  45. ^ D'Costa, Valerian (26 November 2018). "Neville Dsouza Football Turf brings Mumbai's Football Fever to Bandra". bandrabuzz.com. Mumbai: Bandra Buzz. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  46. ^ Yadav, Siddharth (16 July 2017). "Neville D'Souza Football Turf as good as ready, confirms Aaditya Thackeray". Football Counter. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  47. ^ "Teams with Most Wins in Prestigious Beighton Cup". hockeypassion.in. Hockey Passion. 2 November 2022. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  48. ^ "Indian Soccer Team To Rangoon". The Indian Express. 21 October 1953. p. 6. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  49. ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava (2000). "The Indian Senior Team at the 1953 Rangoon Quadrangular Cup". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  50. ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1954 Calcutta Quadrangular Cup". Indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018.
  51. ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "The Indian Senior Team at the 1955 Dhaka Quadrangular Cup". Indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018.
  52. ^ Fujioka, Atsushi; Chaudhuri, Arunava (1996). "India – List of Santosh Trophy Finals: 1959 (second)". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  53. ^ Jointly with Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Todor Veselinović and Bulgaria Dimitar Milanov (4 goals each).
  54. ^ Esamie, Thomas (25 October 1999). "Games of the XVI. Olympiad: Football Tournament (Melbourne, Australia, 24th November – 8th December 1956)". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 September 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2022.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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