In the memory of Cristiano Junior

When December strikes, all of us get ready for celebration. It is definitely the month of merrymaking, but there is one person who makes my heart heavy on this particular month.

Since years, we have been seeing numerous foreigner players landing in our country and entertaining us with their fantastic skills. They leave their countrymen, family and everything to be one of us but there was a time when we could not provide the best to save a life of one such foreign player.

I was so little when that mishap struck the final of the 26th Federation Cup football championship on Sunday. It was the 5^th of December, 2004 when Dempo won the match 2-0 but lost its star striker, Cristiano Sebastiao de Lima Junior moments after he scored his second goal against Mohun Bagan, a goal which turned out to be his last. Júnior collided with Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Paul, in the 78th minute of the Federation Cup finals. While scoring his second goal, he collided with the goalkeeper and collapsed. The match continued after Junior was taken off the field. Unfortunately he had already lost his life when he reached, Hosmat Hospital.

Junior was one of the football crazy Brazilians who migrated to India with a dream to conquer the fields. While playing for the America Futebol Clube in Brazil, he was approached by Douglas with an offer to play for East Bengal. Junior didn’t take long to accept his proposal and fly to Kolkata in order to unveil his vision. When he arrived, East Bengal was going through a very tough time. In their previous three National Football League games, they had lost one and drawn the remaining two but Junior’s arrival changed the scenario. Scoring 15 goals in only 18 games and scoring for a record seven games in a row after his debut, helped East Bengal recover easily. His partnership with Bhutia will be remembered in history of Indian football for long.

He is also remembered as a real family man as stated by his coach Mr. Subhas Bhowmick. He and his wife loved animals and thus was a frequent visitor of Alipore Zoo. This was quite surprising for all his fellow players but that hardly affected Junior’s life.

The Brazilian had more to deliver in Goa. Soon after completing his contract with East Bengal he shifted to Goa. Sameer Naik, captain of Dempo had stated, “The move to Dempo was promoted by the Portuguese influence in Goa where Junior would feel at home. He wasn’t very fluent in English.” Bhaichung had stated somewhere that Junior was devoted to his game, his wife and family, he liked to keep to himself. He also loved to go to churches and spend time at home.

His passing away was a great loss for Indian football and definitely was an alarm for the same.

Today, had the chance to speak to Abhijit Mandal, goalkeeper of east Bengal who was present in the field on that particular day as he was then, playing for Dempo. I just listened to him quietly for about five minutes as he had so much to say about Junior. Abhijit sounded low when he shared, “I definitely respect him as a player but more than that I respect him as a human being. I won’t hesitate in stating that I have never seen a foreigner like Junior before him. He was a real quiet and summed up personality, often was seen reading bible in his free time. He never wore shorts after the matches and he believed he was not to reveal his body parts in public. He has influenced my life in several ways and I am not sure who still remembers him but his photograph still resides in my prayer room. Every Sunday I offer him garland as he left us on a Sunday and I pray to him before leaving for every match. I repeat, he was a fantastic human being and definitely a great footballer whose loss can never be replaced. We could have, maybe we could have saved his life.”

So many years have passed since we have lost him, but still I believe every follower of Indian football misses his name written on the newspapers and definitely on the jersey.

“A little tribute true and tender,

just to show that we remember.

Time may pass and fade away,

but memories of you will always stay.”