Bryce's Corner

  This February, the St. Michael’s Sharjah Goan Community organized an annual picnic at the Sharjah National Park. The event brought together more than 400 Goans from all across the Emirates, with the main purpose of – connecting the diaspora and celebrating a shared reality.   A series of games were put together for people of all age groups that helped create a community spirit as people gathered in their respective teams working their way out on reaching the finish line. The most innovative of them all was the – ‘Newspaper Dress Up Competition’. In this game, all the teams had to work out innovative ways of designing a dress out of old newspaper within a limited time. Imagination took a flight of fancy as team members went frenzy to complete the task within just ten minutes, generating lots of fun and laughter in the fresh environs of the park.  The event  finally culminated with the game of housie and a short song session by Mr. Anthony Dsouza who s...

  What does it mean to be a cricketer from the most picturesque state of Goa? Sounds quite fascinating isn’t it. Today, I’m here to throw a spotlight on one of the most talented and youngest cricketers -  Aayan Afzal Khan, aged 19, hailing from Margao, who currently plays for the UAE national cricket team. As one of the top players to record a four-wicket haul in just 16 runs for the UAE squad in the T20 World Cup, Aayan has become a symbol of nation’s bright future in cricket. Aayan’s love for cricket had very humble origins. In his early childhood days, he developed an interest watching his father play on the cricket grounds of their neighborhood. Recognizing his interest in the sport, his father gifted him with a plastic bat and ball. Coincidentally, Afzal – Aayan’s father too was a state-level cricket player in Goa but had to give up when he came to UAE to seek greener pastures. Little wonder that Aayan would have taken up after his father as love for cricket must be i...