Muscat - Arabstoday
Indian School Al Seeb recently held a function to commemorate the death anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand during which the school\'s two hockey teams were initiated at the school premises. Reading the message received from the Indian captain of the women\'s team admist loud cheers was the Principal Nagesh Kelkar. \"I congratulate Indian School Al Seeb on commemorating Major Dhyan Chand on his death anniversary and remembering him in such a unique way by initiating your school\'s two hockey teams. I look forward to visit you one day.\" The occasion was the veneration of Major Dhyan Chand on his death anniversary — an attempt made first time in the history of any Indian school in Oman. Major Dhyan Chand, who led the Indian hockey from the front was a great player and is also known in the annals of the game as, the \'Wizard of Hockey\'. The school\'s boys and girls\' hockey teams were initiated by two very eminent personalities, who graced the occasion despite their busy schedule — Sheikh Mahfood Al Juma, chairman, Oman Hockey Association and Redha Taqi Al Lawati, general secretary, Oman Hockey Association. The programme began by lighting of the inaugural lamp followed by the school choir crooning songs of national integration. The Vice Head Girl, Nandini Balaji welcomed the august gathering that also included the School\'s Operation Manager, Anil and one of the revered parents, Salih Thacher. The Principal in his speech welcomed the guests, Sheikh Mahfood Al Juma and Mohammed Redha Taqil Al Lawati and the students to take up the game of hockey in the most challenging way and to carry it up to the heights of national glory. He regaled the students with highly interesting and inspiring anecdotes from Major Dhyan Chand\'s life and asked them to stop not till they reached the goal. He also read out the message of good wishes from the eminent and versatile hockey player S.A.S. Naqvi. Shaikh Mahfood Al Juma and Mohammed Redha Taqil Al Lawati unveiled the logo of the hockey club of Indian School Al Seeb and initiated the teams by handing them over the hockey sticks to the members. The chairman in his speech congratulated the students on their new venture and expressed his desire to see them on par with the national level hockey players of Oman. He said that Oman Hockey Association will always lend their support to the school in its pursuit of the game. Mohammed Redha Taqil Al Lawati, thanked the school\'s Authorities for giving them this opportunity of meeting the children. The programme ended with a vote of thanks by the school\'s Vice Head-Boy, Stevin Varghese, assuring the School Management to fulfil the expectations of parents and the school authorities. The show was conducted by Sneha Kanta of Class XI. Meanwhile, hockey enthusiast and parent Salih Thacher congratulated Kelkar, the PT teachers and the teachers for organsing such an historic event. Times Of Oman