“True champions weren’t born but trained.” The fortunate spectators at Kaifan stadium were again favoured by fortune as they could witness in awe the scintillating performance of the young sportsmen of Bhavans, Kuwait celebrating their ninth Annual Sports Meet at Kaifan Stadium, Kuwait City on January 12, 2018, graced by the esteemed presence of the Chief Guest, Ambassador of Guyana to Kuwait, His Excellency Dr. Shamir Ally and the Guest of Honour Dr. Maryann Beebe Ally.
The Annual Athletic Meet began with the recitation of the Holy Quran followed by the Kuwait National Anthem. After the rendition of the beautiful prayer song by the school choir, the Head Boy of IES, Ketan Maheshwari welcomed the guests. The elite league that adorned the embellished pavilion were the Chief Guest, Ambassador of Guyana to Kuwait, His Excellency Dr. Shamir Al Ally and Guest of Honour Dr. Maryann Beebe Ally along with Mr. N. K. Ramachandran Menon, the Chairman, Bhavans Middle East, Mr. T. Premkumar (Principal, IES) and Mr. Mahesh Iyer, (Principal SIS), Mrs. Rathi Ravindran, Vice Principals of IES, Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan, Mrs. Lalitha Premkumar and Mrs. Meenakshi Nayyar , Mrs. Shaimaa Zaki (Administrative Manager, SIS) and Mr. Mohammad Khamis ( Manager owner’s office).
The BSS (Bhavans Service Scheme) Cadets, the office bearers of the School Supreme Council, along with the House Captains, Vice-captains, blossoms, and the senior students of the four houses of Bhavans paraded elegantly with the drumbeats. The Chief Guest, Ambassador of Guyana to Kuwait, His Excellency Dr. Shamir Ally and Guest of Honour Dr. Maryann Beebe Ally along with the other dignitaries received the reverential salute from the marching contingent.
The 15 sports champions who represented Bhavans at the national level in swimming and badminton, were the privileged torchbearers of Bhavans. They escorted the Vice Sports Captains, Vignesh Sivakumar and Kiara Czarina Reaven of IES in the ceremonial torch run. The torch of perennial flames was then lit by the Sports Captain Karthik Sivakumar amid thunderous applause encasing the stadium. The deputy Sports Captain Anupama Nair administered the oath.
The Chief Guest for the day His Excellency Dr. Shamir Ally declared the Annual Athletic Meet of the year 2018 open and addressed the gathering. He urged the students to have a clear vision and mission in their lives. He told them to be the eagles that they are and soar high up in the sky. He sowed his seeds of wisdom into the fertile minds of the young Bhavanites, as he insisted them to follow the seven-fold mantras of life to be successful in their lives. He signified the importance of sports in one’s life and reminded them that the paramount objective of sports is to develop friendship, respect and harmony in the world. He further implored them to engage in constructive evaluation to progress in life. The Guest of Honour, Dr. Maryanne Beebe Ally, then blessed the students of Bhavans, Kuwait. As a token of the deep love, gratitude and reverence of the Bhavans fraternity, the Chief Guest was then presented a memento by the Chairman of Bhavans Middle East, Mr. N.K. Ramachandran Menon.
The sizzling athletic events that ensued in the tracks decided the champions of the year. The students of grades 1-8 enthralled the spectators with their gracefully energetic drill displays after a month long rigorous training by the industrial Physical Education Department of Bhavans. The theme for the drill display as well as the athletic meet for the year 2018 was ‘Tech ‘No’ Fitness’. The tiny televisions, mobile phones, game consoles, whatsApp icons, Facebook fans, and their charismatic display garnered thunderous applause of appreciation from the spellbound spectators. The beautiful blend of soul filling music, elegant and brisk movements, precision and synchronization added to the beauty and elegance of the drills, and effectively conveyed the message to say ‘NO’ to techno friends to stay fit and fine.
Sanskriti House won the overall championship trophy. The second place was secured by Satya House and the third place was bagged by Seva House. The euphoric winners of the three houses conjointly received the trophy from the Chief Guest.
The schools spread across Kuwait, under the umbrella of Bhavans, Kuwait, the various departments, principals, vice principals, heads of departments, teachers, parents and students toiled unanimously to make the Athletic Meet a rocking success. The Head Girl of IES, Megha Varnika Budati, proposed the vote of thanks. The curtain was drawn on the spectacular Athletic Meet and Drill Display showcased by the Bhavans Kuwait, after they paid respect to their motherland, India. The 9th Annual Sports Meet conveyed the strong message to say ‘NO’ to the overuse of technology. The spectators parted reassuring themselves to limit the use of technology and not to become the slave of mankind’s creations.