Encouraging sports

Updated on: Monday, January 17, 2011

Schools run by the Society of Jesus across India have produced several sports stalwarts such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni (St. Xavier's Ranchi), Rahul Dravid (St. Joseph's Commerce College, Bangalore), Sunil Gavaskar (St. Xavier's, Mumbai), V. Anand and the Amrithraj brothers (Loyola, Chennai).St. Patrick's School, Secunderabad, which celebrates its centenary this year, has its own share of sports luminaries. Standing tallest among them literally and figuratively is the six foot plus Mohd. Rizwan, former captain of the Indian basketball team. An officer with the State Bank of India, he's also President of SPAN (St. Patrick's Alumni Network). Hyderabad and South Zone off-spinner Noshir Mehta is another prominent alumnus, having played alongside stalwarts such as M.A.K. Pataudi, M.L. Jaisimha and others from the Twin Cities who donned India colours. Notable sportsmen holding out much promise include T. Suman, who shone for Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League, Ibrahim Khaleel, Hyderabad Ranji wicket-keeper, vice-captain and former Mumbai Indians squad member besides Abhinav Kumar. Narendra Pal Singh, former Hyderabad and South zone speedster, M.P. Anant Vatsalya, former Hyderabad off-spinner and Arjun Yadav, Hyderabad's former Ranji captain have also passed through the institution's portals. “I have picked up a lot of my cricket here,” said Suman on a visit to his alma mater recently. The institution inculcated a love for sports in its students thanks to the vision of Principals such as the late Fr. Devasia, after whom an inter school basketball tournament is organised each year and the enthusiasm of dedicated physical education teachers such as L.P. Naidu

More Education news

• Entrance exams to be time-bound
• IAF to select crew for India's 1st manned mission to space
• Kids dont give words special power to mark their worlds
• Faculty shortage in IITs
• Indian-origin scientist Ramakrishnan honoured with knighthood
• Education for special children has a long way to go, finds survey
• Admission process: Engineering aspirants get boost
• Controversy, scams bent the learning curve
• Good science is not possible without freedom of thought: Ramakrishnan
• Panels to monitor SSA
• DU may allow Pak student with poor attendance to take exam
• Direction to issue appointment letters within 6 weeks
• Indians in Malaysia urged to safeguard Tamil language
• JK govt to suspend principals of zero pass rate schools
• Decks clear for AMU Centre in Bihar
• MP medical admission scam: Guilty students to face action
• TN to recruit 7,000 teachers for govt schools-
• State common board to examine Samacheer kalvi syllabus
• Rs 151 crore sanctioned for DD Upadhyay College building
• Balaji Telefilms to sell education, mobile content biz for Rs 8.37 cr