The most prominent Goan clubs in Nairobi, Kenya, were separated by less than a mile. But that's about as close they ever got as there was no neighbourly love displayed by either the Goan Institute or Railway Goan Institute when their teams met on the sports field.

There existed an intense rivalry between the two of Juja Road's greatest sports institutions in East Africa and, thankfully, it paled in relationship to the ones that exist in other parts of the world.

The Manchester and Milan derbies have been well documented, but none has impacted any sport like the one that exists between Glasgow's sworn rivals Celtic and Rangers. Political and religious undertones have combined to make this the most heated rivalry in soccer and transcended sports at the club level. At the national level it's Pakistan versus India that captivates and brings out the worst in the millions of fans around the world and on both sides of the border created in 1947. As a result of terrorist attacks on Indian soil by armed Pakistani insurgents, India has cut off all ties with their neighbours and it will be ages before the two meet in any bilateral series much to the chagrin of the true fans.

While both the GI and RGI fielded top-notch soccer, cricket, badminton and tennis teams, most if not all of the attention of the members was focused on field hockey. And passions usually went up a notch during the M.R. De Souza Gold Cup tournament held in Nairobi at Easter time. The competition attracted the crème de la crème of clubs from across East Africa and winning this elusive trophy had a similar feeling to lifting soccer's World Cup. RGI won it on three occasions with the GI taking it home once.

GI and RGI met in this competition on several occasions and the players always had their parentage questioned by the rabid fans. It's hard to believe but the only place where sanity prevailed was on the City Park murram field. Every match between the two rivals was tough and hard-hitting with no quarter given, but there were no serious stick-swinging incidents. One year, unfortunately, passions spilled over the sidelines and that led to a major divide between the two clubs. I believe it was in 1967 when the RGI Garrets produced the Gold Cup's greatest upset. They knocked out highly-favoured G.I. in the third round on RGI's newly-laid turf field, the first one of its kind in East Africa.

The game was marred by petty fouls and, at the final whistle, one of the referees was manhandled by some of the players. It was an embarrassing loss since GI's lineup included all of its Olympic players. That same night a couple of senior RGI players visited the GI and that may not have been too smart a move. One of them was allegedly assaulted and since the player in question was a high-ranked Olympian, the local newspapers gave the court case that followed maximum coverage. The charges were tossed out.

But the bitter feelings lingered on for a couple of years until the Railways decided to take back their land. All of the club's top players in every sport were invited to join the GI, but a few of the club's diehards led by Olympian inside-left Reynolds de Souza decided to give the Gold Cup one more shot in 1970 before the curtain came down on a storied institution. Battling with sheer guts and determination the team reached the semifinals before bowing out to eventual champion Nairobi Sikh Union.

The rivalry died in 1971 when the RGI was dissolved and the GI, with the infusion of new players, continued to be a force on the local scene but the Gold Cup eluded it.

While some of the older members of both clubs resented each other, they reluctantly banded together when the two teams came up against perennial powerhouses Nairobi Sikh Union, Sir Ali Muslims Club and Kenya Police.

It was best though not to cross the senior members of each club as they held deep grudges for reasons best known to them. Take three-time Olympian Hilary Fernandes, one of the country's best-known players who in his prime played for the Police, the RGI and the GI before joining the Sikh Union. It was following his move to Sikh Union that Hilary proposed to his high school sweetheart Elsie. Since the bride's father Braz Fernandes was a staunch GI member the couple decided the reception would be held there. The request was turned down. No problem. Move it to the RGI where Hilary played on two Gold Cup-winning teams. RGI also shockingly turned Hilary and Elsie down and they were married at the Premier (formerly Patel) Club. It was a small-minded reaction to Hilary moving to Sikh Union.

The Sikhs treated him royally and honoured him by making him the only non-Sikh to captain the team. He didn't disappoint his new club by leading it to the Gold Cup.

Petty politics played a huge role at most Goan clubs in East Africa and it was a way of life. Most of these players who emigrated to Canada are now seniors and they are still swinging away at a white ball - not hockey, but golf.

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Norman, DRGS alumni and a sports journalist, was born in Nairobi and traces his paternal roots to Velim. He played field hockey and cricket for the Nairobi Railway Goan Institute and was a member of the 1969 Gold Cup winning squad. He now plays golf once or twice a week and still finds breaking a 100 a monumental task, but enjoys the hoisting a few beers at the 19th hole.