BIS #2060 FOOTBALL FIESTA IN DIVYADAAN

Aristo Andrat sdb
DIVYADAAN, SEPTEMBER 27, 2010: The Fathers and brothers from Divyadaan, Salesian Training Institute (STI) and Don Bosco Bhavan conducted a dawn to dusk football tournament on Divyadaan and STI grounds on September 26, 2010. Sixteen teams from in and around Nashik city participated in this tournament. The teams comprised of youngsters hailing from different backgrounds.

The tournament began with a prayer service which invoked the presence of God. The inaugural speech for the tournament was given by Rev. Fr. Solomon Rapol sdb. Here, he explained the work done by the Salesians for the poor and needy youth of today. He also invited the kids to enjoy each other’s company and promote peach and harmony. The first game kicked off at 9 a.m. Music and live entertaining commentary added to the splendor of the event.

The final was played between the teams Kamgar Nagar and Godavari one on the Divyadaan ground. The boys from Kamgar Nagar had the upper edge and finally clinched the title with a score line of 3-2 through a penalty shootout. Special prizes were given for the best player which was awarded to Arun Chelappan from Kamgar Nagar. The best defender was bagged by Robin Addav from Satpur and the best goalkeeper was awarded to Bobby Sharma from Kasturba Nagar. The participated teams received gifts and these were sponsored by Komo Studios, Mumbai.
The final was graced by Mr. Vishwas Deokar, the editor of the Sakal newspaper who was the chief guest for this annual dawn to dusk tournament. He commended the efforts of all the players. The chief guest, in his speech, quoted a poem written by the late Narayan Surve. He quoted Surve saying, “Kamgar ahay me, talapti talwar ahay me” which commended the worker of today. He encourgaged the youngsters to be zealous like workers, always the seeking the betterment of oneself in academics and sport. He further asked the boys to grow in brotherhood and thus journey through life, holding each others hands, striving for perfection.
This event provided youngsters with a stage not only to portray their talents but also allowed them an experience of joy, of being together and thus inculcate in them a spirit of sportsmanship. Various boys when interviewed expressed a sense of appreciation for the work done by the young Salesians in organizing a wonderful experience for them. Speaking about the tournament, Master Robin Addav, a member of the Satpur team said, “I like so many boys coming together and playing with full enthusiasm”. Another sportsman Krishna Singh Yadav commented that the grounds were well prepared and a lot of effort was put in by the organizers. Mohsin Sheikh from the Siddharth Hotel team said, “Brothers come to our oratory and teach us good values. This makes our Sundays enjoyable.”

Finally every boy left the ground with a renewed zest for the game of football and with a longing to play again the next year.