THE LOYOLA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.

The Hindu,dated 06/10/2007:
“Basketball tournament
Thiruvananthaparum: The 33rd Loyola junior inter-school basketball tournament will be held at the Loyola School courts at Thiruvananthapuram from October 8 to 11.
Host Loyola will take on Sainik School, Kazhakoottom in the opening match.
So began the flurry of the most famous basketball championship in city..The news created a whole new atmosphere in Loyola.One of anxiety,hope,the sweet smell of victory pervaded the nostrils of all the boys..
The next day, (07/10/2007)the gamekeeper of Loyola, the all smiles Jose Uncle was seen on the court, aided by the students to sweep the leaves, clean the court, change the nets and to fit the bunker .The banner whose presence every Loyolite cherished was put up in the quadrangle supported by 2 Aluminum poles. It read “LOYOLA JUNIOR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT”. No one raised their voices that day, maybe storing the full potential of their throat to cheer the home team to victory.
The Quarter Finals
8-10-07-12:50pm.A bell, followed by the flourish of the seniors announced to the school that the 33rd Loyola Junior Basketball tournament had begun.
In all hopes and smiles(in missing the rest of the days classes),the seniors occupied the steps facing the basketball court, ready to cheer the school on to the stroke of success. Creative slogans and banners were geared up after a lot of cerebration.Loyolites were to play the Sainik School,Kazhakootam in the opening match, just like THE HINDU said.
The horde of animated loyolites in the stands exploded into shouts of “ ‘V’V ‘I’I ‘C’C ‘T’T ‘O’O ‘R’R ‘Y’Y….V-I-C-T-O-R-Y,That’s Loyolas Battle Cry”, which was aptly followed my many inventive slogans.When the Loyola team started scoring baskets, one after the other in the exhibition, missing out on just a few, the spectators erupted with “We want another one, just like the other one”
The opening match, scheduled at 1 pm started on time. The match progressed with each second, taking the viewers closer to the edge of their seats with hopes of Loyola defeating the looming Kazhaks.With young spirit within,skill in movements & passes,and propelled by the cheering students,the Loyola team with Nevin Bennet,John Thomas,Thomas K Mathew, and Shekar R.A. at their best closed the account with 47 points,leaving the Kazhaks at 38.The final whistle from the refree had the students,standing up and saluting the young team.The match between Don Bosco School (PLACE) and Sarvodaya Vidyalaya at 2:00 pm was dominated by Sarvodaya Vidyalaya with a huge margin of 20 points, beating the out station school for 46-26.
St Thomas Residential School won the match scheduled at 3:30 pm with St Johns for 34-18.
The most interesting match was between GV Raja Sports School,Mailam(named after Godavarma Raja) and Medical Higher Secondary school.With fast-paced techniques,lightning passes and great shots,GV Raja crushed the Medical School to 42-18.
The Semi Finals
The Semi Finals on 9-10-2007 had four qualified teams, with matches fixed between Loyola and Sarvodaya at 2:00 pm and GV Raja against St Thomas Residential School at 3:00 pm.
When the likes of Sanjay V,Thomas John,The Johnsons(Jubin and Jian),enthralled the vivacious Loyolites,Sarvodaya School were always the arch-rivals,with some fierce brawls and bouts,which would be accompanied by tired scorekeepers,who always had to keep the scoreboard ticking.

This year found no difference,The untiring seniors started cheering for the propitious team with relinguished energy and they did make us proud,after a match that seemed like a sprint wherein two runners had their shoulders glued to one another.
After much cheering and moral support,no one was unhappy to fing the Loyola Basketball team triumph over the clash of the rivals.
Seconds before the final whistle,the stands were so quiet,as if no one was present ,the squeak of the shoes and the bouncing of the ball was not audible to any.All our senses were drowned in tension,but just a fraction of a second before the final whistle,we found the orange ball make its way through the hoop quarded by the Sarvodayans.This was instantly followed by a burst of high frequency whistle from the refree.The gallery erupted in joy,Loyola finishing Sarvodaya with 70-69.
GV Raja displayed their skills once again with enough pomp,Knocking STRS clean out of the tournament.
The Final Showdown
10-10-2007, The watches showed 2:30 pm,anticipation all around,tensed faces…! On the court-the Loyoites and the boys from the GV Raja team. PHREEEEEE..a whistle and the ball goes high up in thr air.All the students had taken their positions to witness the most crucial match of the tournament.8 of my classmates were in the chapel,praying for our team,Another one in class,saying the Namaz.In spite of all the gallant moves and shots Loyola made,with great cheering from our side, the boys from GV Raja showed great skill and opened a riposte of jaw-dropping moves & passes,the finals,had all the Loyolites,without losing hope, cheering for the young team with great approbation .Not one sprightly Loyolite lost his words for the home team even when the Domination of the GV Raja boys was prominent.
In half time,the Loyola team was almost beaten,but with inspiring words from the coach Mr.Arun,the team bounced back to action and put up a mighty fight,but luck was displeased with the loyolites and turned its face away from us..with the GV Raja team defeating us 59-41,walking away with the most coveted basketball championship in the city
It is of great honour for me to say that the Loyola team finished second in the tournament,losing only to a school that devotes half of its time to sports.The best team did win the tournament.



With Refreshed spirits and strong souls the juniors are now regularly practicing basketball in the second trip.Let us hope and pray for the boys to bring the honour that Shinoy and the other great captains of Loyola School gifted the school..


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