FORMER PRESIDENT OF B.H.A

BAPTIST DE SOUZA PASSES AWAY

Mumbai March, 23: Baptist de Souza the former President of Bombay Hockey Association and the Dy.Managing Director of Mahindras passed away in Mumbai today after a brief illness. He was 81. His major contribution to the sport of hockey was the organization of the 5th World Cup Hockey Tournament in Mumbai under his stewardship in 1981. He was also instrumental in getting the Astro Turf at the Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate . During his tenure from 1980 to 1998 Mumbai hockey with a host of Olympians and World Cuppers was at the top in the country.

An automobile engineer by training De Souza was an ardent sports lover and was responsible for establishing Mahindras as a super power in hockey & football. He with Mahindras stalwarts like golfer Rajkumar Pitambar and B.A.Sule encourage sports thus generating respectable jobs for the likes of triple Olympian M.M.Somaya, Joaquim Carvalho, Marcellus Gomes, Mark Patterson , Dhanraj Pillay , Darryl D’Souza, Gavin Ferreira World Cuppers Francis D’Mello, Edgar Mascarenhas and Asian Games star John Fernandes. Mahindras also had in their ranks top footballers like Mustafa , Shivdas , Nataraj , Godfrey Pereira, Santosh Kashyap and Shanta Kumar. De Souza will be remembered for changing the face of the Mumbai hockey and its stadium and his constant efforts to bring in financial aid for the development of the game in the metropolis and the country in general.

Funeral will be held at Chandanwadi on March 24 at 5.30 pm presided mass at St.Stephen’s Church Kemp’s Corner at 4.00 pm.

Media release by MHA