By Sandeep Heble
Let’s face it – Housie runs in our Goan blood. Whether it’s birthdays, weddings, family gatherings, church feasts, tiatrs, or those fun fundraising nights – it’s always there! All you need is one MC, a caller, some chart paper, lucky numbers… and just like that – the evening is lit!
So why ban something that brings people together and raises money for a good cause?
Even GFA President Caetano Fernandes had to step in when South Goa tried to ban it. He met the CM and explained how Housie helps football clubs keep going. It’s not gambling – it’s tradition, it’s community, and it’s fun!
So how about exploring this idea further — Let’s get together to form a Goa Housie Association, or Better still – a Board Games Association of Goa. And if we’re allowed to dream bigger, a National Federation for Board Games with Goa as the base!
Housie can be regulated just like any other sport. Set rules, register clubs, give permissions – that’s all it needs. We already have many hardworking administrators in Goa’s sports bodies from the hotel, entertainment and events world – people like Vero Nunes, Gududatta Bhakta, Mac Vaz, Nisha Madgavkar, Elvis Gomes – who can easily take this idea forward.
Maybe include other classic games – Ludo, Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders… all the stuff we grew up playing at home.
These Housie nights can be combined with musical shows – give our Goan musicians, artists and performers a platform. It fits beautifully with the CM’s vision of Goa as a sporting and cultural destination with entertainment at its best.
Post-COVID, tourism in Goa has seen some slowdown. Families want new kinds of safe, fun, and meaningful experiences. Imagine coming to Goa for a Board Games Festival – music, games, food, and family vibes. Locals benefit, artists get paid, and tourists get a unique experience. Like we have the International Film Festival, Kite Festival, and Kaju Festival – why not a Housie Festival?
Goa successfully hosted the National Games in 2023 – so we can surely plan the Goa National Board Games Festival in 2026! Maybe make it an annual thing. Get teams from across India, or even from abroad. Let’s bring back the bulbul as mascot, or even the Kingfisher bird if we want to give it a more entertainment-friendly brand. And maybe the Khelo India Board Games too.
Don’t ban a tradition. Regulate it. Package it well. Promote it with good spirit while keeping the mafia out. Goa can lead the way.
Let’s call it – All Goa Board Games Federation. Why not?
The Government of Goa or the Goa Olympic Association can explore this option. Time to roll the dice.
