The Opening Ceremony of the XVIII CBSE Clusters Table Tennis Tournament, hosted this year, by St. Joseph’s Sr. Sec. School, Sector 44-D, Chandigarh was a grand event, well punctuated with a beautiful cultural programme which had everyone enthralled. Thirty-three schools from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh will be participating in the various events comprising Under 14, Under 17 and Under 19 ( Boys and Girls) Singles and Doubles categories, over the next three days.
The ceremony was formerly inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Mr. Tejdeep Singh Saini- Director Sports, Chandigarh as well as Mr. Harish Kumar- the Secretary of the Table Tennis Association and CBSE Observer Mr. Sachin, who were warmly welcomed with bouquets and mementos. The Lighting of the ceremonial Lamp by all the Dignitaries followed soon after.
The Chief Guest then hoisted the CBSE Flag and graciously accepted the March Past honours as the students marched in a spectacular and well synchronized order. All the contingents then solemnly took the Oath of Allegiance, promising to abide by all the rules to ensure fair play throughout the tournament. The robust rendition of the School Song by the Josephian Choir reverberated in the air. In accordance with the time honoured tradition at St. Joseph’s, no event can be initiated without first invoking the blessings of The Almighty. Therefore, a sensational Classical Dance dedicated to Lord Ganesha- Ganesh Vandana Stuti was presented by the Josephian troupe which received a tumultuous applause from the mesmerized audience.
The Principal of the host school- Ms. Monica Chawla delivered the Welcome Address with an exquisite verse “Jeet aur Haar apni soch par nirbhar karti hai. Maan lo to haar hai aur Thaan lo to jeet hai.” emphasizing the significance of Sports as part of the CBSE curriculum. In her Speech, she reiterated the importance of Sports, saying that currently St. Joseph’s caters to 14 different Sports facilities – more than any other in the tri- city. She went on to kindle the burning desire of every participant to succeed by spurring them on to ‘put in their best to Be the best’. She said that the mantra to success is focus, determination, perseverance, honesty with a dash of that elusive factor called Luck, often the game changer in any competition.
She also mentioned India’s grand haul of medals at the recently held Asian Games wherein we achieved the 8th position amongst 37 countries and the CWG Games at Gold Coast , Australia where India claimed the Third Position after Australia and England, trusting that such feats would encourage and motivate our young Indians to carve the position of our nation furthermore in the world of Sports. Ms. Chawla concluded by wishing all the teams the Best of Luck for the upcoming games and hoping that though the various participants have stepped in as competitors, they would leave as friends.
After the Principal’s inspirational articulation, a fiery and dynamic Patriotic dance further boosted up the spirits and the atmosphere was charged up a notch higher with the Skating Team came forward to showcase their exceptional talent, performing one remarkable feat after another.
The Chief Guest then addressed the gathering by felicitating the school for hosting the Clusters and appreciated the Management for the well organized arrangements which ensured a smooth sailing for all the participants. He hoped that the spirit of bonhomie and camaraderie shared by all the Josephians would also be reflected among the teams. He said that he truly believed that Discipline was an integral component required to triumph in life. Sports and all extra curricular activities he said, were not only needed to keep one physically fit but was of paramount importance in the development of a well rounded personality which would further sculpt the future leaders of our nation. He also emphasized upon the importance of a healthy competition and sportsmanship spirit. Mr. Tejdeep Singh Saini then declared the CBSE Clusters XVIII Table Tennis Tournament officially Open at St. Joseph’s Sr. Sec. School, Sector 44-D, Chandigarh by releasing the balloons.
