National Netball & Football Tournament, London, UK

Pramukh Cup 2006

Celebrating 10 Successful Years of Sports Activities

On Sunday 16th July, the UK and Europe Bal Mandal held the 10th National 5-a-side Football Tournament at Gibbons Recreational Ground, Neasden, London.

Starting just seven days after the World Cup finals, this tournament promised more teams, more games, more goals and more fun than the World Cup. 53 teams and over 370 players from various cities in UK and Europe gathered at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London to compete for not only the Pramukh Cup, but also to attain the blessings of Guruhari Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Teams from Ashton, Preston, Birmingham, Luton, Leicester, Loughborough and the London suburbs were joined by teams from Lisbon, Nottingham, Southend-on-Sea and Milton Keynes who were making their debuts in the tournament.

The tournament began with a grand opening ceremony at the steps of the Mandir. All the children were dressed in specially designed coloured kits. Shrihari Swami performed the deep pragatya and released 3 banners from the Mandir Gate revealing the slogan of the Pramukh Cup – ‘One Game, One Nation, One Guru’. In light of the recent tragic incident in Mumbai, all participants performed a one-minute prayer for victims of the tragedy. Yogvivek Swami talked about how the game should be played with the right team spirit, mentioning how this tournament was different from others in that it encouraged essential values such as sportsmanship, unity and respect. He also touched on how the Pramukh Cup had developed over the last 10 years to the magnificent tournament it is today.

The tournament started with the launch of balloons and the singing of the Indian National Anthem. With 166 matches to be played in eight hours, Gibbons Recreation Ground was full of fun, laughter and delight. Many parents had also come along to support their children. Apart from the continuous enjoyment of football, there were also novelty games for everyone to participate in. These included bouncy castles, human table football and an inflatable obstacle course. Refreshments were served throughout the day to all parents and children. Scouts from top British Premiership Clubs had also been invited and were impressed with the talent on display.

The tournament was divided into six age groups with the winners of each age group cup progressing through to the Pramukh Cup (Cup Winners Cup). The winners of each age group cup are shown below.

The Pramukh Cup final was played between Finchley A (winners of Sahajanand Cup) and London A (winners of Narayanmuni Cup). The atmosphere was just electric. The game ebbed and flowed over the ten minutes with each side having several shots at goal. The crowd cheered both teams willing them on to perform better and better. Eventually the game was won by London A whose talent, teamwork and skill shone through. One of the winners said, “It was just like winning our own mini-World Cup. To play against all these teams and come out as the champions is truly a great feeling especially as it is the 10th year”.

A total of 269 goals were scored in the whole tournament exciting the many spectators that had gathered for this family event. The tournament ended with a closing ceremony in which Anandmuni Swami congratulated all the players for taking part. He also reiterated that this tournament was about increasing respect between one another and playing with unity and that was clearly visible in each and every game that had been played.

Every participant was given a small trophy by the sadhus as a memento of this occasion. All the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and left with a lasting memory of the Pramukh Cup.

Premvati Cup 2006

BAPS FORWARD AS ONE IN THE SPORTING WORLD

On Sunday 16th July, the UK Balika Mandal held their annual 7-a-side Netball tournament in the Swaminarayan School Tennis Courts, Neasden, London.

This national event welcomed teams from all over the UK including Birmingham and Loughborough.

The tournament began with a grand opening ceremony with the welcoming of Harikrishna Maharaj. All the balikas were seated with their teams, dressed in specially designed T-Shirts. Ramaben performed the Deep Pragatya and a Vedic vidhi was carried to officially kick-start the tournament. The message of Samp, Suhradbhav and Ekta was reinforced in a speech and through an enlightening video.

With 17 teams and 50 matches to be played in eight hours, the tennis courts were full of fun, laughter and delight. Many parents had also come along to support their children. Apart from the continuous enjoyment of netball, there were also novelty games for everyone to participate in. These included bouncy castles, giant Jenga and an inflatable obstacle course. Refreshments were served throughout the day to all the parents and children.

The tournament was divided into 2 age groups.

The tournament ended with a closing ceremony in which distinguished guests congratulated all players for taking part. The message of Samp, Suhradbhav and Ekta was also again reinforced as that this tournament was about increasing the unity within the whole of the UK Balika mandals.

Every participant was given a small trophy as a memento of this occasion. All the balikas thoroughly enjoyed themselves and left with a lasting memory of the Premvati Cup.