157th Annual Athletic Meet and the Inauguration of

The Afternoon Session of the 157th Annual Athletic Meet was no less exciting than the morning. Crowds of students and parents thronged the pavilion and the stands; the well decorated SJBHS grounds bore an air of festivity. The session commenced with a visual extravaganza as the students of Class V performed the Parachute Drill.

It was time for the special guests to arrive. The NCC boys stood at attention, police personnel took their places to cordon off the VIP enclosure and a hush went through the crowd. It was broken by proud applause and the bandsmen signaled for the Guard of Honour to be rolled out. The dignitaries had arrived: Chief Guests, Rahul Dravid, Old Boy and Former Captain of the Indian Cricket Team; Rev. Fr. Stanislaus D’Souza S.J., Provincial of St. Joseph’s Institutions; Shri Roshan Baig, Honourable Minister, Infrastructure Development, Information and Haj; Shri N. A. Haris, MLA and Rev. Fr. Anthony Joseph, S.J., Rector of St. Joseph’s Institutions. Distinguished Old Boys and Guests of Honour Mrs. Marie Mascarenhas, mother of Old Boy Mark Mascarenhas; Mr. Jimmy Anklesaria, Patron and Benefactor of the school; Prof. Rajiv Gowda, Member of the Rajya Sabha; Mr. Sandeep Somesh, Asiad Hockey Player; Mr. Austin Almeida, National Level Basketball Player; Mr. Hakimuddin Habibullah, Olympian Swimmer; Mr. Anup Sridhar, Olympian and Former Captain of the Indian Badminton Team; Mr. Trishul Chinappa, National Golf Champion; and Mr. Arvind M., National Level Swimmer ,were escorted to the dais by the Principal of SJBHS, Rev. Fr. Clifford Sequeira, S.J., Primary Administrator and Vice Principal, Rev. Fr. Sunil Fernandes, S.J., Vice Principal of SJBHS, Mrs. Miriam Angelo, Former Vice President of the PTA, Mr. Vinay Mruthunjaya, President of the OBA, Mr. Gopal Bengeri, and present Vice President of the PTA, Mr. Bernaad Chetty.

All eyes were on the star- studded main stage!
The Invocation song ‘Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart’ by the SJBHS choir, rang clearly through the silent gathering, reiterating faith in the Almighty.

The Principal of SJBHS, Rev. Fr. Clifford Sequeira, S.J., warmly welcomed all present at the venue to be a part of the Inauguration of the Loyola Sports Complex — a tribute to the sporting tradition of the school and a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of future generations. Fr. Clifford put on record that the Chief Minister, Shri Siddaramiah, could not be present at the venue due to urgent commitments but had sent his best wishes.

Mr. Rahul Dravid took centre stage along with Mr. Roshan Baig and Mr. Haris.
Shawls, bouquets and mementos marked the welcome bestowed on the dignitaries while floral tributes were paid to the Old boys, whose love for their alma mater had brought them back to school and whose stellar achievements had made them heroes in their chosen fields.

Inauguration of the Loyola Sports Complex
The 157th Annual Athletic Meet will always be synonymous with the addition of the latest sports facilities: the inauguration of the Loyola Sports Complex, the new building that houses the basketball court, the swimming pool and other sports facilities. Brand new, its portals adorned with flowers and tinsel, it stood tall as a tribute to the SJBHS spirit of sports that goes back generations.

The Provincial of the Josephite Institutions, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus D’Souza, S.J., was called upon to commence the inauguration. Readings from the Holy Bible were recited and Prayers were chanted. To the soulful tune of the hymn ‘In His Time’, the Rector and Rev. Fr. Sunil blessed the new building. The ribbon was cut by Mr. Rahul Dravid and balloons were set free by Mr. Roshan Baig, Mr. Haris and the other dignitaries.

Old Boy and Chief Guest, Mr. Rahul Dravid, spoke on the occasion and said that if the Complex is used well and used wisely, many more sportsmen would emerge from the portals of SJBHS to represent the state and the country.

Fr. Stanislaus D’Souza thanked the visionaries responsible for conceiving the idea of the Sports Complex, the architects, the contractors and the consultants as well as the past and present Principals of SJBHS, the benefactors and well-wishers as they had dared to dream big.

The Old Boys on stage were felicitated and their achievements glorified. Now it was the turn of the present Josephites to take the spotlight with their well coordinated drill displays. The boys of Std. VII armed with dumb-bells tied with blue ribbons and the boys of Std. VI with blue and white pompoms showed precision in their exercises, team spirit and grace. The boys of Std. VIII combined exercise with dance - rhythm in motion. The ‘Club Swingers’ of Std. IX and X did not disappoint with their disciplined efforts.

The closing ceremony saw the March Past with Mr. Jimmy Anklesaria taking the salute. This was followed by the Prize Distribution and the Vote of Thanks. The school song was on the lips of every Josephite — past and present, young and old. The prayer song ‘Abide With Me’ filled the cool evening air rendering thanks to God for his grace.

Thus Sports Day came to a solemn end and everyone carried memories close to their heart as they made their way home in the darkening evening sky.