By Gasper Crasto
CR7 statue is now within the CRZ (Coastal Regulation
Zone) in Goa.😉
Next time you walk across Calangute, look around and up
to check if there is a ‘dove’ perched up on top Cristiano Ronaldo’s head,
surveying the city.
A 400kg, 12 lakh-rupees brass statue of the international
football icon was unveiled by the Goa Government at Calangute on 28th Dec 2021
with the ‘aim of inspiring youngsters’.
The Portuguese star is one of the most popular football
stars in the world, and his fans are spread across every nook and corner of the
globe (including me in Kuwait).
The current Man-United striker, who recently reached the
800-goal milestone, may not be in his best form, but that has not stopped
Ronaldo fans from classifying him one of the most amazing and complete player
of the game.
Unfortunately, the statue triggered black flag protests
at the site.
The protestors, although a few in number, allegedly
protested of neglecting Goan football legends like Arjuna award winner and
former Salgaocar legend, colleague and a friend - India football team captain
Bruno Coutinho, who also hails from Calangute.
Looks like the authorities did not consult the public
before erecting the statue but I guess the govt had very good intentions.
INSPIRING YOUNGSTERS
Will the statue really serve to inspire Goan youth,
undermines the government or the symbolic power of the statue.
Will anyone even see the statue when they go to
Calangute? Do statues matter?
After the ribbons have been cut and the political
speeches are concluded, how much do we notice the statues in our midst?
Do they continue to proclaim the significance of the
individual that they commemorate, or the crows quickly get the upper hand?
We have a bust statue of Navelim-son Dr. Francisco Luis
Gomes right in front of Our Lady of Rosary Church. How many of our generation
even know who Francisco was, and what he achieved as a Goan?
In Goa, perhaps the only statues that convey recognition & significance are Bandodkar’s at Miramar, and Mahatma Gandhi’s at Old Goa.
THE REASON FOR RONALDO’S STATUE
Calangute, and Goa are on the map of international tourism.
A majority of tourists visiting Goa and especially the youngsters know little about Sunil Chetri or our local legends; they do however watch a lot of European football and certainly know CR7.
My personal opinion (ofcourse it doesn’t count) would be to have Ronaldo’s goal-scoring pose frozen into the statue; the pose is more popular.
That being said, statues of local footballers should be
taken up by schools of respective villages with a list of accomplishments to
tell the kids someone can make it big if they can emulate the stars.