On December 30, 2023, there was a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the under-14 basketball teams from Don Bosco High School and Jr. College, Naigaon, when they won the taluka-level competitions hosted by Vasai Kala-Krida.
The boy’s under-14 team won the finals trouncing St. Augustine School, Vasai 14-6 in the finals played on PDBA grounds, Box Street, Vasai East.
From a third-place podium finish last year kaka-Krida, this team has been dominant in the School Basketball this year. They won both DSO and Kala-Krida basketball this year and have represented Vasai Virar in the Mumbai Division.
The girl’s under-14 team as well displayed athletic prowess while dominating the tournament. They won the finals against Carmelite Convent High School, Vasai with a lead 6-2. The junior girls prevailed over Rahul International School in their Quarter Finals in the tiebreaker.
At the Kala-Krida, the under-17 girls team also secured the runners-up spot, taking second place. The girls competed hard and made it to the finals. They shocked PDBA Academy students in the semifinal before losing to Carmelite Convent School in the finals.
The competition involved about 15 teams from different schools in the Naigaon to Virar area, and about 20 matches were played.
While the budding winners were beset with pride, the under-17 boys accepted their defeat gracefully, knowing that the game is not just about winning, but it is about the true spirit of sportsmanship and the willingness to give their best while representing their school.
Joshua Okoh, the under-14 boys’ team captain, gave an incredible effort that contributed to the team’s victory in basketball. Joshua has the rare ability to persevere through exhaustion and never give up, exclaiming, “I’ve got to fight through it guys!”
The coach, Abraham Thomas, stated, “While Joshua displayed brute force, his younger sibling Rachel Okoh displayed her calmness in the midst of crises winning the under 14 girls team title.”
Thus, three finals were played, two of which resulted in first place and a triumphant second place finish, capping up an incredible basketball season and a feeling of accomplishment for Don Bosco’s Naigaon.
In the meantime, Manthan Kundan Bhagali, a grade IV student from our school’s Primary Section, won the open category inline skating competition for under-10 skaters at the Vasai Kala- Krida
By – Dorothy Fernandes