Chandigarh
11 November 2017
DIVYA AZAD
Spectacle extraordinaire, is how the Sports day at St. John’s would be described. After days of hard work, the result was awe inspiring.
The event started with the unique unfurling of the school flag which was tent-pegged by a horse rider from the school team charging down the track. After the administering of the oath, the torch was handed over to Anmol Rattan Singh, the School Captain, and then to Abhudaya Sharma, Shivam Bansal and Adhiraj Toor who finally lit the flame.
The fire in the hearts of the participants burnt equally bright.
The march past followed, which was led by the Paraplegic contingent as a mark of honour to 2nd Lt. Rajeev Sandhu, to whom the Sports day was dedicated. The brave heart Johnian laid down his life for the country in 1988 fighting against the LTTE. The school dedicated Sports day 2017 to this youngest recipient of the Mahavir Chakra. The spirit of nationalism was palpable in the field on this bright morning. The Golden Jubilee SJOBA batch of 1967, the Silver Jubilee batch of 1992, the school’s NCC contingent, the school captains and boys graced the field with their smart marching.
This was followed by various races like the Teachers’ and Captains’ races for different houses, the groundsmen’s races, the obstacle race and the hurdle races which were keenly contested. The Tug –o- War, an event which causes great excitement, between the old boys and the current students was won by the SJOBA team. Winners of pre decided sporting events were also felicitated. Another highlight of the day was the race of students from GRIID ( Govt. Rehabilitation Institute for the Intellectually Disabled), who ran in a relay along with the captains of the Student Council. Excitement and the thrill of participation was writ large on their faces. St. John’s lived up to its motto of Pro Deo et Patria (For God and Country).
A brilliant display of archery and horse-riding was appreciated by all.
The precision in the drill movements of the boys of the senior school stood testimony to the hours of practice put in, and as the drill ended, 4 human pyramids were raised- 7 storeys high!
The finale of the grand show was superb with all 1000 boys and the staff performing the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, in sign language, thus showing solidarity with the differently abled and giving a voice to the voiceless.
The results of the various events:
Winners of Sahil Arora Trophy: ( For Best Athlete)
Best Athlete Under 19 – Vernie Thorpe
Under 17- Ravneet Singh
Under 14- Shiven Khanna
Under 12- Ayman Ayush Angrish
Best march past : Br O’Keeffe House
Best Drill ; Br O’ Keeffe House
Best Participation: Br Morrissey House
Best Pyramid: Br Morrissey House
Overall Best House : Br Morrissey House
The Chief Guest for the event, Sh Maninder Singh Bains ( Chairman- Chd. Housing Board) who also happened to be an old boy relived his moments on the field. He was very impressed with the show and congratulated the boys for their wonderful performance.
The Principal, Mrs Kavita Das, expressed her joy, especially about the participation of the children from GRIID and the veterans…a true sign of inclusiveness at its very best.
