By Ms Dorothy Fernandes for BISMumbai

The Girls’ Under-17 Football Team of Don Bosco High School and Junior College, Naigaon, won the Final DSO (District Level) Football Match organised by Vasai-Virar Mahanagarpalika on 15 September 2023. They scored the only goal of the match to beat Rustamjee High School, Virar.

This is the second time that the girls have proven that there is no dearth of talent at Don Bosco’s when it comes to sports. The zeal and enthusiasm were clearly seen on the faces of the girls as they performed remarkably well in closely played matches during the DSO tournament. The girls displayed an exceptional sense of teamwork, and the link-up plays and interchanges were superb. They put in a lot of effort in practice sessions.

The coaches, Mr Emmanuel Olukunle Ilo and Mr Gaji Ona Destiny, have been working assiduously with the team, training them rigorously. They have been training students in different sports and building up the school sports teams at the grassroots level post-pandemic. With this success, the girls' football team is now gearing up for the Divisional Level.

The Principal, Fr Anthony Fonseca, expressed his joy, saying, “This victory is the result of perseverance and dedication. We wouldn’t have made it, had it not been for the spirit of consistency and resilience on the part of the team and the coaches.” 

Despite leading her team to victory in the previous match, captain Rayna D’Souza was unfortunately unable to play in the finals due to illness. The vice-captain, Gauri Gurav, who has represented the girls' football team at the Maharashtra State Level, displayed excellent leadership in her absence. “When it comes to sports, especially football, it’s always the boys who are given importance. I’m so happy that we have won this match. We have given our best to deserve this victory”, she remarked.

The coach, Mr Ilo, lauded the efforts of the team, saying, “Their eagerness, discipline, determination and coordination were on full display as they were determined to win. They plan to give their best and will continue to win in the upcoming matches.”

The team expressed their gratitude to their coach and to the school for the opportunity they had to represent the school. This will indeed be a golden moment for Don Bosco, Naigaon.