This week for our special column of the Hyderabond, Fernando Miguel De Oliviera Nunes, the head coach for the Telugu Talons handball team, takes us through being a member of the Hyderabad community, his love for the culture of Hyderabad, and more.
I am a member of the Hyderabad community now. From the beginning itself, both working and living conditions were arranged well for me. I am an exceptional case, coming from a different country altogether. It was interesting for me to blend into Southern culture.
Shikha Duggal
Having an attachment from the most coolest country in Europe — Fernando Miguel De Oliviera Nunes from Portugal is a highly accomplished professional in the field of handball coaching and administration! We were on the watch out for our next spokesperson, being the special weekly column, and heard his contemporaneous association with Hyderabad! Perused that right, he is the head coach for the Telugu Talons handball team, in the news these days.
With a wealth of knowledge, he declares, “I am a member of the Hyderabad community now. From the beginning itself, both working and living conditions were arranged well for me. I am an exceptional case, coming from a different country altogether. It was
interesting for me to blend into Southern culture. I am coming from Portuguese culture! Comparatively, we are a very small country. There are a lot of differences between our cultures. For a really long time, I had a wonderment on knowing about Telugu cuisine from the time I heard about my first-ever association with Hyderabad. The gastronomic culture in Portugal is bewildering, that’s why the prying.”
He has established himself as a respected figure in the handball community, and elaborating further, he said, “We speak Swedish there. We can commute easily over there in comparison to this city, so much free time to bond with the family which depicts a good work-life balance. I am a family man, a believer in spending ample time with family. I realised, we are always blazing in Hyderabad.”
Fernando holds a prestigious coaching license, which demonstrates his commitment to continuous improvement and staying abreast of the latest coaching methodologies. Moreover, “Portugal is very safe! There’s beauty, theatre, and museums but the culture in Hyderabad is more fascinating. Let’s remove religion! In every nook and corner, there are temples. The piousness of Hyderabadis is so visible. The colorful sarees women wear, add to the culture! I am learning a lot from Hyderabadis.”
Before his tenure in the Netherlands, he was the coach of Senart Agglomeration Handball.
His strategic vision and leadership helped propel the team to notable achievements and establish a strong foundation for their future endeavors. Presently, “I have a lot of funny moments spent with my boys here in Hyderabad. We go out for dinners late in the city, jam together, crack up a little bit and so much more. From the onset of my journey, was aware of the difficulties I got to face when I’ll be coming down to Hyderabad. My culture was always a part of this beautiful country — it’s still embedded in Goa. Most of the spices are exported from this country to ours. Even with the handful of opportunities, we explored our relationship with India and otherwise. We have good affiliations with the Navy too.
Presently, my primary focus is to shed light on newer discoveries. As a Portuguese, we are already known to be the explorers and I am trying out the same in Hyderabad. I can’t wait to share in-depth experiences that I am having in the city, or will continue to have so with my inhabitants.”
