St. Paul’s ogranises a number of annual sports events, amongst which the “Rev. Fr. Eddie Memorial Football Tournament.” The tournament, in its 54th year (2021) has been well received by football lovers across Belgaum, and is one of the most eagerly awaited tournaments every year.
The man in whose memory this tournament is established, Fr. Eddie, was the Vice-Principal of St. Paul’s High School, when he passed away in a tragic accident in the year 1965. Having been a good teacher and an excellent sportsman, with great passion for football, Br. Eric D’Silva formed a committee and started this tournament to keep his memories alive, shortly after his death.
A little more about Rev. Fr. Edward (Eddie) Menezes SJ
(Born: 11-04-1920 Died: 11-08-1965)
Rev. Fr. Edward Menezes SJ was fondly known to all the boys of St. Paul’s as ‘Fr. Eddie’. He loved the boys but disliked their faults and short comings. He was a good teacher, a strict disciplinarian, an excellent sportsman and very good in co-curricular activities.
Fr. Eddie completed his high school studies in this very school – St. Paul’s in 1939 and his B.A. from Lingaraj College in 1943 with English and Economics as his main subjects. His favorite subject was English. He was also good in teaching Latin. In his third year at college he was chosen as the Secretary of the Football Committee. After completing twelve years of sincere service as a Jesuit Priest, Fr. Eddie was appointed as Vice-Principal in St. Paul’s, where he gave his best to his Alma Mater till his death.
Fr. Eddie was above all a teacher. He was anxious to get the best out of his pupils. What ever he taught, he taught with whole hearted devotion. Besides book knowledge, Fr. Eddie would prepare his pupils for their whole life, thus enabling them to be men for others and be good useful citizens of the society in the near future. It was because of this that he inculcated in his pupils good virtues like love, honesty, truthfulness and open-hearted sincerity. He always opposed and fought against hypocrisy, dishonesty, injustice and anything that prevented pupils from being good. He always hated sin but never the sinner. Fr. Eddie punished his pupils not because he hated them, he disliked the fault in them. When he was calm, he tried to seek his lost sheep like Jesus did, and would humbly ask pardon.
Like any good teacher Fr. Eddie liked to be in the company of his pupils, always talking to them, motivating and encouraging them. Fr. Eddie was an up-right man and always showed his pupils the right path. He was loyal, unselfish, gentle and kind. Fr. Eddie was good to all who came in contact with him.
In school Fr. Eddie took keen interest in the co-curricular activities. He also took keen interest in the NCC activities and maintained a lively passion for sports.
His beautiful life of service was suddenly brought to an abrupt end when his motor-cycle collided with a military jeep on the evening of Wednesday, 11th August 1965. He was on his way to meet his mother and sister in the Camp Bungalow area. That very morning he had also conducted the daily school assembly.
Hence Rev. Bro. Eric D’Silva SJ began this prestigious football tournament in memory of Rev. Fr. Eddie Menezes – his companion and brother Priest. Bro. Eric is now serving in Miramar, Goa. In the past many years, this football tournament has enabled schools to remain united, explore and encourage sporting football skills of young lads and inculcate good moral values among students. A memorial fund was also raised in his memory to keep alive his works and sports activities in St. Paul’s. Scholarships were provided to deserving and poor students.
The aim of this tournament was to promote the sporting football talents of young boys. Mr. Joseph Braganza who stayed opposite St. Joseph’s Convent, Mr. Neil from the Bungalow area, Mr. Bill Roberts – referee from the King George Military School, and Mr. Ameen Sait were a big source of support to running this tournament. Mr. Alex and his team got the ground marked and ready for use just half an hour before each match. Dr. F.A. Hafiz, fondly known as Himalayas, was the field doctor of the tournament. These wonderful people are some of the many Godsend friends who helped to organize and conduct this prestigious tournament.
The Eddie Memorial Tournament was an open tournament with teams from the Military, the Air Force teams from Sambra, the Medical College, two City Teams, Bashiban ‘A’, Bashiban ‘B’ and St. Paul’s. After a few years, the tournament was organized by the Old Boys Association headed by Mr. Albert Pereira.
Then the tournament was handed over to Rev. Fr. Patrick D’Lima, former Vice Principal of St. Pauls. Fr. Lima restricted the number of participating teams.
The Paulites of Belagavi Worldwide promise to host and conduct the games in the best of sportsmanship and fair play. With the cooperation of the participating institutions, the management of St. Paul’s High School, and the Paulite fraternity, the prestigious Fr. Eddie Memorial Football Tournament will see new horizons and will continue to do so, for many more years to come!
This year the tournament will start on September 1 in a knock-out format in which around 20 schools have been invited and all the matches will be played at St. Paul’s A Ground (St. Paul’s PU College Ground).
55TH FR. EDDIE MEMORIAL – INAUGURAL
Exciting News! The 55th edition of the Rev. Fr. Eddie Memorial Football Tournament 2023, the oldest football extravaganza in Belagavi city, kicked off with a grand Inaugural Ceremony on September 1st, 2023, at the ‘A’ Ground of St. Paul’s.
We were truly honored to have the Deputy Commissioner of Belagavi Police, Crime Branch Department, Honorable Madam P.V. Sneha , as our Chief Guest for the Inaugural Function!
The event was graced by an illustrious lineup of dignitaries, including Mr. Nagesh Chhabria & Mr. Sumukh Chhabria, Promoters of Metrocast Network Private Limited Big Ventures Broadband and Riddhi Group of Companies, Mr. Madhav Prabhu – President of Paulites of Belgaum Worldwide (the school alumni association), Mr. Amit Patil – PBW Sports Committee Chairman, Paulite Alumnus & Vice President of Karnataka State Football Association, Fr. Simon Fernandes SJ – Rector & Manager St. Paul’s Institutions at Belagavi, Fr. Savio Abreu SJ – Principal of St. Paul’s High School, Management Committee Members of St. Paul’s Institutions and many more esteemed guests!
Dr. Madhav Prabhu, President of PBW, shared a brief history of the school and welcomed our distinguished guests. Mr. Amit Patil, Chairman of the 55th Fr. Eddie Memorial Football Tournament, led the players in reciting the Fr. Eddie memorial sports oath.
Our Chief Guest, Madam P.V. Sneha IPS, emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and encouraged the Alumni Association to continue organizing this prestigious tournament, assuring full support from the department. Mr. Nagesh Chhabria, a proud paulite alumnus of the 1983 batch, shared his fond memories and experiences at St. Paul’s. Principal Fr. Dr. Savio Abreu S.J. gave a moving Presidential Remark, reflecting on the life and contributions of Fr. Edward Menezes SJ, former Vice Principal, and introduced the history of the Eddie Memorial Football tournament.
We also honored St. Paul’s alumni who have excelled in promoting football in society and nurturing young talent. As a sign of gratitude for their selfless services, they were felicitated by the organizing committee. Their selfless service to their alma mater deserves our applause! To foster the spirit of sports from a young age the players of each match were accompanied by our young students from the Jesuit ICSE School and Sunbeam Nursery.
The opening match, sponsored by the 1994 batch, showcased Kanak Memorial High School vs. KLS English Medium School, with Mr. Santosh Sarode officiating the toss.
This 55th edition is truly special with 55 dedicated committee members, and every individual associated with this tournament is a proud paulite alumnus. Heartfelt gestures touched our hearts, including a massive tribute in the form of a banner to the late Rev. Fr. Jacob Carvalho SJ, a former Principal of St. Paul’s which was erected at a prominent place.
In a touching tribute, the 1995 batch dedicated their sponsored match to their batchmate, Mr. Vijay Sulakhe, a budding football player who left us too soon. The boys of 1995 even invited Mr. Sulakhe’s father as a Chief Guest and observed a moment of silence in his memory.
The Inaugural Function, the thrilling football matches, and the grand Valedictory Function were all broadcasted live on YouTube channels.
Below is the Google Drive Link on which all the snaps of the Tournament are available.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cKypTXi8PiXqBnn5Ps5IySVL4ulN25U5?usp=drive_link
DAY 1 Summary
Match 1:
- Teams: Kanak Memorial High School vs. KLS English Medium School
- Toss raised by Mr. Santosh Sarode
- Result: KLS English Medium School won 3-0
- Goal Scorers for KLS English Medium School:
Chattanya R scored 2 goals in the 21st and 32nd minutes
Shrey P scored 1 goal in the 27th minute
Match 2 :
- Teams: Cantonment Board School vs. Bharatesh Central School
- Result: Cantonment Board School won 5-0
- Goal Scorers for Cantonment Board School:
Isa Saraf scored 3 goals in the 15th, 24th, and 39th minutes
Rahman scored 2 goals in the 4th and 35th minutes
Match 3 :
- Teams: Bharatesh English Medium School vs. Jain Heritage School
- Result: Jain Heritage School won 1-0
- Goal Scorer for Jain Heritage School: Atharva Akki
Match 4 :
- Teams: Phoenix Public School vs. Angadi International School
- Result: Match ended in a tie (1-1), Phoenix Public School won in penalty shootouts
- Goal Scorers:
Prajwal Y scored for Phoenix Public School in the 14th minute
Aaryan Bisht scored for Angadi International School in the 57th minute
Match 5 :
- Teams: St. Mary’s School vs. Angadi MVM School
- Result: St. Mary’s School won 3-0
- Goal Scorers for St. Mary’s School:
Sunny Pitake scored 2 goals in the 12th and 45th minutes
Raheel Makandar scored 1 goal in the 38th minute
Match 6 :
- Teams: Love Dale School vs. KLS Public School
- Result: Love Dale School won 7-0
- Goal Scorers for Love Dale School:
Rohit Singh scored 4 goals in the 1st, 4th, 13th, and 16th minutes
Ronaldo Singh scored 2 goals in the 7th and 24th minutes
Jogesh Singh scored 1 goal in the 23rd minute
DAY 2 Summary
Match 7 :
- Teams: St. Paul’s High School vs. Kendriya Vidyalaya High School
- Result: St. Paul’s High School won 7-0
- Goal Scorers for St. Paul’s High School:
Joshua Vaz (Captain) scored 4 goals in the 24th, 29th, 31st, and 59th minutes
Shannon Kolkar scored 1 goal in the 19th minute
Ishan Devgekar scored 1 goal in the 20th minute
Amanulla Ashekhan scored 1 goal in the 32nd minute
Match 8 :
- Teams: St. Xavier’s High School vs. Jyoti Central School
- Result: St. Xavier’s High School won 1-0
- Goal Scorer for St. Xavier’s High School: Gourang Uchukar scored in the 59th minute
Match 9 :
- Teams: Dnyan Prabodhan Mandir School vs. KLS Eng High School
- Full time ended in a tie (1-1)
- KLS English High School won the match in penalty shootouts
- Goal Scorers:
Shashank R scored for KLS Eng High School in the 2nd minute
Nischet Kshatriya equalized for Dnyan Prabodhan Mandir School in the 14th minute
Match 10 :
- Teams: Sant Meera High School vs. Jain Heritage School
- Result: Sant Meera High School won 5-0
- Goal Scorers for Sant Meera High School:
Swayam Kakatkar scored 2 goals in the 31st and 34th minutes
Aditya Sani scored 1 goal in the 17th minute
Soyam Tashildar scored 1 goal in the 19th minute
Pranav Desai scored 1 goal in the 36th minute
Match 11 :
- Teams: Sarvodaya High School vs. Cantonment Board School
- Result: Sarvodaya High School won 1-0
- Goal Scorer for Sarvodaya High School: Steven scored in the 19th minute
Match 12 :
- Teams: Marathi Vidyaniketan School vs. Phoenix Public School
- Result: Marathi Vidyaniketan School won 3-0
- Goal Scorer for Marathi Vidyaniketan School: Jeet Harer scored a hat-trick in the 5th, 47th, and 49th minutes
QUARTER FINALS – Summary
1st Quarter Final Match:
- Date: 3rd September 2023, Time: 09:00 am
- Teams: St. Mary’s High School vs. KLS English Medium High School
- Result: KLS English Medium High School won 4-2
- Goal Scorers:
Shreyas Biradar (St. Mary’s High School) scored 2 goals in the 40th and 50th minutes.
Kshitij C (KLS English Medium High School) scored a goal in the 8th minute.
Chaitanya R (KLS English Medium High School) scored a goal in the 25th minute.
Shrey K (KLS English Medium High School) scored a goal in the 34th minute.
Neel B (KLS English Medium High School) scored a goal in the 41st minute.
2nd Quarter Final Match:
- Date: 3rd September 2023, Time: 10:30 am
- Teams: Marathi Vidyaniketan School vs. St. Xavier’s High School
- Result: St. Xavier’s High School won 3-1
- Goal Scorers:
Pranav Chougule (Marathi Vidyaniketan School) scored a goal in the 7th minute.
Self-goal (in favor of St. Xavier’s) in the 10th minute.
Ruzain Uchgaonkar (St. Xavier’s High School) scored a goal in the 11th minute.
Siddarood Sanikoppa (St. Xavier’s High School) scored a goal in the 19th minute.
3rd Quarter Final Match:
- Date: 3rd September 2023, Time: 12:00 pm
- Teams: St. Paul’s High School vs. Sarvodaya High School
- Result: St. Paul’s High School won 1-0
- Goal Scorer: Shanon Kolkar (St. Paul’s High School) scored a goal in the 22nd minute.
4th Quarter Final Match:
- Date: 3rd September 2023, Time: 01:30 pm
- Teams: Sant Meera High School vs. Lovedale Central School
- Result: Lovedale Central School won 7-1
- Goal Scorers:
Ronaldo Singh (Lovedale Central School) scored a hat-trick in the 14th, 25th, and 34th minutes.
Venus Ningthoujam (Lovedale Central School) scored 2 goals in the 16th and 26th minutes.
Rohit Singh (Lovedale Central School) scored a goal in the 17th minute.
Jogesh Singh (Lovedale Central School) scored a goal in the 37th minute.
Pranav Desai (Sant Meera High School) scored the only goal for the team in the 50th minute.
FINALS SUMMARY:
The 55th Fr. Eddie Memorial Knock-Out Football Tournament 2023-24 Inter School (Under 17) for Boys concluded with an exciting final match between St. Paul’s High School Belagavi and Love Dale Central School. Here’s a summary of the final:
Pre-Final Build-up:
- Paul’s High School faced Love Dale Central School in the highly anticipated finals of the tournament.
- The tournament was organized by the Paulites of Belagavi Worldwide, in association with St. Paul’s High School Belagavi.
- The knockout rounds showcased exceptional football skills and passion from the participating teams, making it a delight for spectators.
Semi-Finals:
- Paul’s High School defeated KLS School with a score of 5-0 in the semi-finals.
- Love Dale Central School secured a victory against St. Xavier’s School with an impressive score of 6-0.
Final Match:
- Date: 5th September 2023 Time: 3:00 pm
- The highly anticipated finals took place between St. Paul’s High School Belagavi and Love Dale Central School.
- Paul’s High School emerged victorious in a thrilling penalty shootout.
- The match was intense, with Love Dale School putting up an impressive performance.
- Paul’s High School showcased exceptional skills and determination throughout the tournament.
- The heart-wrenching match reached its climax during the penalty shootout, where both teams displayed their prowess and resilience.
- Despite Love Dale School’s valiant efforts, they fell short in the end.
Post-Final Celebration
St. Paul’s High School Belagavi celebrated their victory in the 55th Fr. Eddie Memorial Football Tournament 2023. Both teams demonstrated great sportsmanship and skill, making the match memorable for spectators. Congratulations to St. Paul’s High School Belagavi for their well-deserved victory. Kudos to Love Dale School for their remarkable performance and commendable sportsmanship.
The 55th Fr. Eddie Memorial Football Tournament 2023 will be remembered as a testament to the passion, talent, and sportsmanship displayed by St. Paul’s High School Belagavi and Love Dale School. It showcased the spirit of competition and the dedication of these young athletes.
CHEER BOYS CHEER!