Mangaluru: The Fr Mathew Vas Memorial Inter-Parish Football and Throw Ball Tournament along with the Fr Mathew Vas Excellence in Sports Awards 2023 for the parishes of Mangalore and Udupi dioceses was organized to commemorate the second death anniversary of Rev. Fr Mathew Vas, a beloved and dynamic senior priest of the Mangalore diocese on Sunday, 22 Oct 2023 at St Aloysius PU College Ground.
Community Empowerment Trust ® Mangalore, a unique voluntary organization, that assists the community by facilitating access to various government and non-government schemes, projects, scholarships, and more for those in need or facing financial hardships was established in 2016 by a group of dedicated persons, and the late Rev. Fr Mathew Vas took the initiative to conduct the event. The Trust in collaboration with the Christian Sports Association Mangalore, Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh ®, and Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh ® organized this mega event. It witnessed the participation of 30 football teams and 17 throw-ball teams from Mangalore and Udupi dioceses.
The day commenced with a Holy Eucharistic mass at 7 a.m. paying tribute to Fr Mathew Vas’s memory and his contribution to the community.
The official inauguration of the tournament took place at 10 a.m. with the Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the Bishop Emeritus of Mangalore Diocese serving as the inaugurator. Rohan Monteiro, Managing Director of Rohan Corporation Mangalore, graced the event as chief guest while Pradeep D’Souza, secretary of Coastal Development Authority, and Melwin Vas, Principal of Milagres PU College Mangalore and the brother of late Fr Mathew Vas were the Guests of Honor.
Symbolic lighting of the lamp and showering of flower petals on the portrait of Fr Mathew Vas marked the reverence and respect for his memory.
Anil Lobo, convener of the event and founder trustee of CET extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries by presenting them with a bouquet of flowers.
The highlight of the event was the felicitation of 15 budding sportspersons from both the dioceses who had achieved success in state-level, national-level, and international-level sporting events. They were honoured with shawls, bouquets, mementoes, and a cash prize of Rs. 5000 each. Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza congratulated all the achievers and offered words of encouragement. He emphasized the importance of their role as role models for the other youth. Rohan Monteiro appreciated the hard work of the organizers. He also congratulated the achievers and promised his support for such events in the future.
The following are the achievers
- Nishanth D’Souza (Piusnagar Parish) – Chess
- Chris Anjen Baptist (Urwa Parish) – Badminton
- Rianna Dhriti Fernandes (Urwa Parish) – Swimming
- Vian Thomas Mascarenhus (Udupi Parish) – Table Tennis
- Dashiel Amanda Concessao (Derebail Parish) – Roller Skating
- Jesnia Correa (Bejai Parish) – Roller Skating
- Reema D’Souza (Moodubelle parish) – Boxing
- Joylin Natalian D’Souza (Kemmannu Parish) – Boxing
- Tanisha Malina Crasto (Milagres, Kallianpur Parish) –Volleyball
- Flavisha Velisha Monteiro (Ranipura Parish) – Athletics
- Delisha Miranda (Moodbidri Parish) – Football
- Shaun Elroy Fernandes (Udupi Parish) – Volleyball
- Vipin D’Souza (Saverapura Parish) – Hockey
- Ashline D’Souza (Udupi Parish) – Football
- Oswin Joshua Dmello (Piusnagar Parish) – Chess
The entire day was marked by exhilarating football and throw-ball matches as the tournament reached its exciting culmination.
The Valedictory Ceremony held at 6 p.m. was a grand affair with distinguished guests and enthusiastic participants. The event was graced by Rev. Fr Melwin Pinto, the rector of St. Aloysius institutions as Chief Guest, Santhosh Sequeira, proprietor Santhosh Arrangers, and Nishel D’Souza, national level sportsperson as guest of honour.
Fr Melwin Pinto paid a heartfelt tribute to Fr Mathew Vas. He encouraged the young athletes to excel both in their studies and sports. Nishel was felicitated for her outstanding achievements in sports. The valedictory ceremony was marked by the distribution of awards, cash prizes, and trophies.
Fr Victor D’Souza, Parish Priest of Sullia Church, Celestine D’Souza, president of CET, John Pais, president of CSA, Alwyn D’Souza president of CSMP, Santhosh Cornelio, president of CSUP, Lawrence Crasta secretary CSA, Arun Baptist, sports coordinator were also present during the event.
The entire program was skilfully hosted by Melwin Peris while Patrick kept matches lively with his running commentary.
The Fr Mathew Vas Memorial Tournament and Excellence Awards 2023 was a memorable event that not only celebrated sports but also paid tribute to the legacy of a beloved priest. It brought together the communities of Mangalore and Udupi dioceses in a spirit of camaraderie and athletic competition while honouring the achievements of young sports talents. The event was a fitting tribute to the memory of Rev. Fr Mathew Vas and his contribution to society.
Results:
Football:
Winners – Kulshekhar Parish
Runners – Bajjodi Parish
Semi-finalist – Bela and Kasaragod Parishes
Throw-Ball:
Winners – Shirthady Parish
Runners: Madanthyar Parish
Semi-finalists: Vamanjoor and Bondel Parishes
Prizes: Each winning team was awarded certificates, medals, trophies, and a cash prize of Rs. 25,000.
Each runners-up team was awarded certificates, medals, trophies, and a cash prize of Rs. 15000.
Each semi-finalist was awarded trophies and a cash prize of Rs. 7500.
