BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CLUB

Dempo Sports Club, the champion club of India, assumed its name in the year 1967, having been taken over by Goa’s largest business group, Dempo, whose business interests include iron-ore mining and export, manufacture of pig iron and calcined petroleum coke, shipbuilding, newspaper and book publishing, travel/tour services, baby food manufacture and power generation.  The group is also involved in educational and charitable endeavors and has been synonymous with the development of modern Goa.

Originally named Bicholim Sports Club when formed in the year 1960, Dempo Sports Club has risen to the pinnacle of sporting achievements in soccer, thanks to three generations of Dempo helmsmen, first the late Vasantrao S. Dempo, who was Chairman Emeritus, then his son the late Vasudev V. Dempo , Former Chairman, and now his grandson and current Group Chairman Shinivas V. Dempo.  Under the tutelage of Manuel V. Rebelo, former Vice President Operations-Dempo, and Vilas Sardesai, former Vice President of All India Football Federation, as well as the coaching provided by Armando Colaco, former football international, the club has gone from strength to strength, marking its dominance of football both at State and National levels in the course of its steady rise through the years.

No expense was spared to sign on talented players from within the country or abroad.  No effort was spared to professionalize Dempo Sports Club in its training and preparation for tournaments.  No stone was left unturned to inculcate in players the values of sportsmanship, fair play and playing for the sake of the game.  No wonder the Club is held in high esteem and affection equally by its fans, its peers and the media.

What makes Dempo Sports Club unique is its commitment to promote soccer from the grassroots. Spotting and training talented youngsters and developing them all-round is its forte.  The roster of internationals, who blossomed under such patronage reads like Indian Football’s who’s who-Bruno Coutinho, Jules Alberto Dias, Rejesh Meetai, Pio Rodrigues, Nascimento Silveira, Denis Cabral, Ajay Diwadkar and Leo Rebello.

Indian soccer’s most prized crowns are now worn by Dempo Sports Club with both the Federation Club Tournament and the National Football League tournament going its way in 2005-06.

In the coming years, Dempo Spots Club hopes to carry on the sterling work it has been doing in popularizing and professionalizing the world’s favorite sport in the Republic of India. 

Dempo Team for the season 2007-08

The Players

The Officials

1.                  Rajesh Malgi (Masseur)

2.                  Venkadesh R. (Team Physio)

3.                  Custodio Almedia (Asst. Manager)

4.                  Babu Arolkar (Youth Manager)

5.                  Mahesh Lotlikar (Manager)

6.                  Mauricio Afonso (Asst. Coach)

7.                  Camilo Gonsalves (Asst. Coach)

8.                  Armando Colaco (Chief Coach)

Prominent players who have played for Dempo at National Level

1.                  Manohar Asnodkar

2.                  B.B. Thapa

3.                  Manuel D’Costa

4.                  Socorro Coutino

5.                  Felix Barreto

6.                  Nanda Gad

7.                  John Franco

8.                  K. William

9.                  Eustaquio Pereira

10.              Eugenio Cardoz

11.              Alex Miranda

12.              Custodio Fernandes

13.              Dionisio Trinidade

14.              Rosario Rodrigues

15.              Caitano Fernandes

16.              Jose Fernandes

17.              David D’ Souza

18.              Valente Fernandes

19.              Marcus Carvalho

Team Colours

1.Blue

2.White

 Achievements in Federation Cup and National Football League

A         Federation Cup

            (i)         Winners: 2004-05

            (ii)        Finalists : 1996, 2002

B          National Football League

            (i)         Champions : 2004-05

            (ii)        Runners-up : 2003-04

            (iii)       Champions : 2006-07

Players to be watched this season

1.                  Sameer S. Naik

2.                  Climax Lawrence

3.                  Clifford Miranda

4.                  Valeriano J. Rebelo

5.                  Joaquim Abranches

6.                  Anthony Pereira

7.                  Lester Fernandes

Additional Information:

1.                  Dempo Sports club have been winners of the Pomis International Cup (Male), Maldives in the year 1990, going on to be the finalists the next year 1991.

2.                  The Cub has won the Rovers Cup (Mumbai) four times- in 1975, 1978,, 1979 and 1990- and been finalists  in 1980.

3.                  Goa League championships has been won regularly through the 1970’s and 1980’s by the Club, which has also topped the league one each in the 1990’s and the present decade.

Soccer star internationals of yesteryears playing for India but otherwise donning the Dempo colours include K. Sampath, Ramesh Redcar, Joseph Machado, Nicholas Pereira, Francis D’Souza, Armando Colaco, Prakash Naik, Babu Arolkar, Herbert San, Mahesh Lotlikar, Lector Mascarenhas, Baptist Fernandes, Mario Soares, Mauricio Afonso, Camilo Gonsalves, John Araujo, Clifford Miranda.