Deepalaya - Enabling Self-Reliance

During the Annual Sports Festival Deepalaya School Gole Kuan saw an action-packed day. Students from all age groups participated in athletic events so enthusiastically till exhaustion made them drop to the ground, literally. From leaping far to hurling hard, sprinting to long-distance running, athletes boasted their talents in front of an ever-cheering crowd.

They did not have Olympic-sized tracks, sports captain or different colour house t-shirts! The celebration of Sports Day at Deepalaya School Gole Kuan was completely different from what one sees in other public schools with sound infrastructure and advanced sports equipments.

Light-hearted and informal events comprising activities such as the sack race and balloon race were the attraction for the primary kids. The emphasis was on fun rather than sporting prowess through these events. Other events included skipping race, where participants take a rope and skip along a course, and the three legged race. Sports activities for secondary school children were more serious and competitive in nature than that of their primary school counterparts. The open grounds near Gole Kuan School came alive as the students cheered their friends who held high, the flag of sportsmanship and competitive spirit through the various events.

The sporting events were followed by prize distribution for all the events. The students were awarded certificates and gift items. Parents were invited on the occasion and they expressed their happiness by cheering up their children and the award winners. “It was really like a festival. We all enjoyed playing out of our school gate”, said Rahul, a student of class V who bagged first prize in relay race. Another student from Gole Kuan School chirps, “I had loads of junk food that day… and I don’t regret it because I enjoyed it!”

Addressing the school children, Ms. Anima, school teacher at Deepalaya School Gole Kuan laid emphasis on the need to include sports and other extra-curriculum activities to keep the students’ minds fresh and working. Pointing to the increasing stress in student life, she said sports could serve as an effective stress-busting tool.
Apart from that, events were organised for staff like running races and the fun filled tug of war between staff and students. Such lighter events added to wholesome entertainment on the day.

Roopindira Sharma, teacher from Gole Kuan School said, “There are many students who want to make their career in different sports. Events like sports day give them a platform to show their latent skills. They look forward to more of such participations with other schools as well”.
Parents unanimously voiced about the positives of organizing a sports day. One could see how each individual strived to prove themselves to be the main contender in their categories.
To conclude the meet, the vibrant students of the primary school put up a meticulously choreographed performance which left everybody in high spirits before dispersing for a well-deserved lunch.