The altar servers of Panjim Deanery came together for a thrilling football tournament organized by Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces, at Don Bosco Futsal Ground during the Ganesh break, on 10th September, 2024. Sincere thanks and appreciation to Fr. Tamatur Cardozo, brother James SDB and the community. The event was graced by Fr. Pio Almeida, Dean of Panjim Deanery, and also Fr. Arnaldo Pinho, Parish Priest along with the assistants Fr. Kevin and Fr. Jeronimo of Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces, also the various assistants, Fr. Maurice Colaco and Fr. Richard Rodrigues from Holy Cross Church, Santa Cruz, Fr. Jonas D’souza, from Our Lady of Rosary Church, Caranzalem, Fr. Joel Rodrigues, from St. Agnes Church, St. Inez, Fr. Selwino Pereira from Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim, Fr. Haston Fernandes from St. Michael’s Church, Taleigao, Sem. Princeton Gama, from Caranzalem
The event began on a prayerful note, followed by the rules for the game which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., saw six competitive teams from the Deanery, fostering a sense of community spirit and healthy rivalry. Teams from Merces, Caranzalem, Taleigao, Santa Cruz, Sant Inez, and Panaji fought hard for the top honors. Each team played with every other team in the form of a league. In the end, St. Michael’s Church, Taleigao secured the Winner’s Trophy, while Holy Cross Church, Santa Cruz finished as the runners-up.
In addition to the participation Trophy awarded to each participating team, individual players were celebrated for their exceptional performance:
Upcoming Footballer: Darren from St. Inez
Best Goal Scorer: Ashwin from Taleigao
Golden Boot: Kian from Taleigao (highest scorer)
Best Defender: Dane
Best Goalkeeper: Ashbun
Fair Play Award: Austin from Panjim, for being the most disciplined and respectful player
Hat-Trick Hero: Amadeus from Caranzalem
Best Young Player: Dylan from Merces
The tournament ended on a high note, with lunch provided to all participants and guests. The organizers expressed their joy over the event’s success, highlighting the camaraderie and talent on display, and vowed to continue making this an annual celebration.
Additionally, a 3-a-side knockout tie breaker for the altar server girls was also organized, in which four teams participated, Our Lady of Merces Church, Merces, Our Lady of Rosary Church, Caranzalem, St. Agnes Church, St. Inez, and St. Michael’s Church, Taleigao.
Our Lady of Merces Church triumphed in the Tie-Breaker. The day brought the community together in a memorable display of sportsmanship and friendship. The tournament finally ended with lunch given by the organizers.
