by Cl. Nelson Mudaliar
NASHIK-MAHARASHTRA, DEC EMBER 1, 2014: On November 30, 2014 the youth of the Diocese of Nashik gathered in the campus of Divyadaan for the Inter Youth Football and Throw-ball 
Tournament. The organization of the event was seen to by the youth of St. Anne's Cathedral under the leadership of Joyson, the president of Saint Anne's Youth (SAY). The youth came from the parishes of St. Anne, Nashik Road; St. Patrick, Deolali; Holy Cross, Nashik; St. Dominic Savio, Satpur; and Don Bosco, Nashik. Football was played by the boys and Throwball by the girls. The brothers of Divyadaan also put up a team, naming it DD 200 to commemorate the Bicentennary of the birth of Don Bosco.
The event began with a prayer service at 8:30am on Divyadaan grounds. The youth prayed the Sportsman prayer and took an oath concerning the same. Fr. Ashley Miranda, sdb and Fr. Robert Pen, sdb were the Chief Guests for the event. After speaking a few words encouraging the youth of the Diocese, Fr. Ashley declared the tournament open by throwing the throw ball and kicking the football. It was a wonderful sight to notice new teams entering the tournament. The presence of Fr Kishor, the youth director of the diocese, was indeed a great support and boost to the event.
The matches went on peacefully. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm electrifying the day. Four referees were called in from the BYTCO FC. They were Neeraj Nerlekar, Bhushan Roy, Varun Varia, Mazhar Sheikh. They did their job well and managed to keep the game in control. Sr. Jyothi Pinto fma was the referee for the throw ball tournament. There was a healthy exchange between the youth of the different parishes and also of the brothers. The presence of the brothers enhanced the atmosphere characterized by a lot of interaction and exchange of words.
The youth expressed their happiness at Divyadaan. One youth remarked, "Being at Divyadaan was an amazing moment of spending time in each other's company and cherishing the moments." In their response to the fathers about the tournament many of the youth asked for many more events and programmes to be organized both on the social and spiritual level a
long with the brothers in the future. They even requested for a recollection and a retreat to be held in Divyadaan. They are looking forward for the Christmas get together.
The event reached its climax with the finals – Throwball between Don Bosco and St. Anne's A team and that of Football between Divyadaan and St. Patrick's team. Don Bosco and St. Patrick emerged victorious in throwball and football respectively. Prize distribution was held thereafter, wherein the fathers were thanked for their support and the referees were commended for their help in the field. The youth of all the parishes were thanked for their lively presence during the day and especially during the matches, cheering for the various teams.
All in All, it was indeed a day of grace. The theme "Throw IT! N Kick IT!! Let's Rock it!!!" was indeed a triumph. One could say at the end of the day that togetherness, sharing of talents and a meaningful encounter were the hallmark of the day, this is not the end but another beginning for a much larger interaction in the future.