Sports Day; June 29, 2013

The annual Sports Day at the School may have shrunk a lot from the Meets of the 60s and 70s but the 2013 edition held on the school campus on June 29 had a charm of its own.
For one it was well organised and had the students closely involved.

It was 4 p.m. when I dropped by - parents and junior students sat on the edge of the ground and each House had its own cheer group. In fact. there was a prize for the best cheer group House!

It was prize giving time on stage. Rotarian Ragupathy was the guest and alumnae Asha Marina was beside him, representing the alumni besides the wife of  late P T Master Pannerselvam. The master's portrait was displayed on the stage and a trophy in his name was also given.

Each House team - Agnes, Augustine, Joseph and Teresa was seated on the ground; the rain the previous night had helped to settle the dust here.
All the chalk markings created for the races had merged with the dust.

The cheers for each prize winner was resounding indeed.

St. Jospeh's House walked away with the trophy for the overall winner and the group in red let loose their joy. But it had been a tough fight as the photo here showed the points table.
St Teresa's came second and St. Agnes third.

The March Past trophy was bagged by St. Augustine, the greens. St Joseph's was placed second and the blues, St Teresa's came third.

Once the prizes were given, the teams stood up to sing the School Anthem - I quickly recorded it and will post it soon here - and then, the National Anthem.

It was a nice evening; the Rain God let the Sun God rule. And as a gift, the schoolprincipal announced a holiday on Monday!

On the sidelines I meet young boys who had won more than one medal. There is talent here. Perhaps a need for more time and support for the sportsminded kids and better coaching too. That will allow St Anthony's team to take a place in city schools sports area.

Also, there is a need to have better trophies. A few are being recycled. The call is to the alumni to gift the school large rolling trophies/shields that can be used over a decade.

Enjoy a series of photos taken at the Sports Day - https://picasaweb.google.com/108229909377795883653/SchoolSportsJune2013?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Tribute to PT Master Panneerselvam

He went the way he wanted.
Dressed in his trademark T-shirt and spotless white trousers, sports shoes and cap; even the small locks of hair dropping down on his neck.

Former P T Master Panneerselvam passed away on June 18, felled by yet another heart attack.

The next day, we like many others made our way to his home in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, beyond Perambur and Peravallur to pay our respects and say a prayer. And we felt good - for his family had respected his wish - 'dress me up in my favorite when I make my last journey.

The funeral service was held at a CSI church in Perambur and he was interred at the Kilpauk cemetery.

"Dad used to tell me - when I die dress me in my favourite clothes...", Panneerselvam's son Sam Aton told me outside the drawing room where people streamed him to see the body, join in the prayers and console his wife.

In many ways he was a colourful character who left a mark on many, many students at St. Anthony's. And for the boys and girls who loved sport, he was indeed a mentor with a signature style of work.

We were in Std.VI when Panneerselvan joined school after graduating from the YMCA College. His nativeness was all over him ( he hailed from the Tirunelveli area). But he spoke the English he knew and did not shy even when many of us tittered at his accent.

"Take-a-book and read man!"
"Lizsen to the music!"

Some of his colorful orders we would hear at Assembly, prayer, sport or on the campus. Panneerselvam was was the kind of guru who wanted to be involved everywhere.
But sports was his passion and his vocation and for the small community of sportsmen and women carefully nurtured by Miss Neaves, that icon of school sports in our city, he was a mentor.

St Anthony's did have impressive sporting talent. In athletics, volleyball, cricket, throw ball. And Pannerselvam helped to mould, train and lead our athletes.

Looking back, we can only smile at the condition - one PT master handling over 100 athletes, an annual Sports Day and class after class of PT sessions.

And we now know that he worked real hard for a not-too-handsome pay packet.

It was that drive that drove him to work at the Brittos Academy in the south suburbs. He used to drive across the city and back for this and it certainly took a toll. His son told us that he has suffered two attacks and yet he strained himself.

"I have been reborn," he told a bunch of us when he was in our midst in January this year at the Alumni Meet at school. ( the photo featured here was taken then). He looked trim, chirpy and was in his trademark attire.

That was the man.

( Contact Sam Anton - Panneerselvam's son - 98841 61105.