Who Is Dayanand Bandodkar? Cricket-Crazy First CM Of Goa, Who Skipped Assembly Sessions To Watch Matches

On August 12, 2023, Goa CM Pramod Sawant announced a football tournament to be named after former chief minister of the state Dayanand Bandodkar. The date also marks his 50th death anniversary.

Dayanand Bandodkar. (Source: Twitter)

Dayanand Bandodkar may not be the most popular name in Indian national politics. But he is certainly the most loved politician in Goa. Belonging to Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, he was also known as 'Bhausaheb Bandodkar'. Bandodkar was the first chief minister of Goa. He was known for his philanthropy work besides the day-to-day political affairs he was partt of. But what made him stand out from other politicians was his love for sports, especially cricket and football. Bandodkar was so mad about cricket that if he would see kids playing cricket on the streets, he would request the car to be stopped before he joined them for a game. He died quite early, at the age of 62, but till his last breath, his love for cricket had not ended.

He was also a big footballer crazy. He could watch a football match, standing on a chair, if the crowd gathered right in front of him. It did not matter to him that he was a CM, he was ready to tire his legs to complete a football match.

When Bandodkar was into fifties, there was a friendly cricket match played between Goa Chief Minister's XI and Maharashtra Chief Minister's XI. Bandodkar, who was born in 1911, stroked an unbeaten fifty at the Gymkhana ground in Panaji. Bandodkar had played age-group cricket and his cricket started at Aryan Gymkhana. The bowler

Hon'ble Chief Minister @DrPramodPSawant paid Floral tributes to the First Chief Minister of Goa, Late Shri Dayanand (Bhausaheb) Bandodkar on his 50th punyatithi at Old Secretariat, Panaji and Secretariat Complex, Porvorim. pic.twitter.com/2RD0UxCclv — CMO Goa (@goacm) August 12, 2023

Vijay Merchant, who was commentating in that match told Times of India that this knock, played in 1965 when Bandodkar could have been 54, gave a good indication to how good he must have been in the younger days between the 22 yards.

"He made strokes all round the wicket...which have an indiciation of how well he must have batted in his younger days," Merchant said. He was a such a cricket-mad that some people who knew him felt that the sport was his first love, family and   politics being next in line.

Writer N Radhakrishnan has written in his book 'Dayanand Balkrishna Bandodkar: The Architect Of Modern Goa' that opposition used to make a big issue out of his absence in the Assembly. While the session will be on inside the Assembly, at the same time, Bandodkar would be in Bombay (now Mumbai) watching a cricket match.

Chief Minister, @DrPramodPSawant alongwith Minister for Power, Shri. @SudinDhavalikar,CS,Shri.Puneet Kumar Goel,IAS,Collector North,Ms.@mamu_hage,IAS, garlanded the statue of First Chief Minister of Goa, Late Shri Dayanand (Bhausaheb) Bandodkar on his 50th punyatithi at Porvorim. pic.twitter.com/ebWJwOEdGu — DIP Goa (@dip_goa) August 12, 2023

Goa's commentator Franciso Lume Pereira remembers how upset the opposition used to get seeing him absent. "Leader of the Opposition Jack Sequiera used scream 'why is the CM not present here'? He even produced a photo of Bandodkar at Campal ground when assembly was in progress once," Pereira was quoted saying in Times of India.

Bandodkar is also credited for giving Goa one of its finest players in football. The former CM once went to watc a match between Academia and Goa Police and his fells upon Henrique Britto. The frail-looking footballer was called to CM's office the next day. Bandodkar told Britto that he was talented but physically very weak. The CM granted Rs 50 per month to Britto for buying a health food called Ovomaltine. Britto went on to become Goa's finest defenders and also became captain of the state in Santosh Trophy in the year 1974.

Bandodkar started many tournaments in Goa which are still being played even today. Current Goa CM Pramod Sawant has announced a football tournament named after Bandodkar, who loved the sport. The name of the tournament will be Bhausaheb Bandodkar memorial football tournament.