By Brother Nelson Mudaliar
The tournament began with a prayer service, garlanding of the statue of Don Bosco and lighting the lamp. Father Briston Britto, the vice rector of DBYC, highlighted the benefits of playing football, which included taking care of one’s physique and also learning to play in a team. The lamp was lit by Father Richard D’Silva and the captains of the various teams. The rules were then clearly explained and the tournament began with a kick off by Father Britto.
The teams played with a competitive spirit and great enthusiasm. Many were new to the experience of playing on the football ground and they enjoyed it to the full. The spirit of support and encouragement could be seen on the faces and voices of all those who witnessed the matches. The final match was played between CV Boys and Bosco Juniors A. The former bagged the cup and the latter came as runners up. Dr Sohil Daswani was the chief guest for the tournament. He is a well-known dentist in Pune, a consultant at Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital. He had represented his school in handball at Pune district level. In his address to the boys, he urged the youth to enjoy games and to focus on studies as they grow.
At the end of the tournament, the best goalkeeper, best captain, rising star, most disciplined team, and the all rounder were given prizes.
After the vote of thanks to the many sponsors from Pune and Mumbai, the winners, the runners up and the team that stood in the third place were felicitated. The boys and their supporting members left the campus with a joyous heart promising to come to DBYC regularly.