By Keith HAMASUTE (2012 MPP, Zambia)

The setting could not have been better. The KOBACO Training Center, located about an hour’s drive from the school, flanked on one side by lush green trees and shrubbery and on the other by a serene river. More than one gasp of breath escaped at the sheer beauty of the sight as we disembarked from the bus. A beautifully manicured pitch and the decorative work by an advance party have put the impeccable finishing touches to the scene of 2012 Sports Day.

Step forward the teams:

The orange team made up of KDI School staff members, exuding a certain confidence but not too vocal. They were assigned the far right stand already bathed in orange cheering gear.  Although this team was quite conservative, a yelp or two could be heard as they occupied their stand.

The navy team undoubtedly the least vocal of all four teams. Comprised of a random selection of students and faculty members, the Navies seemed uninterested in pre-game banter, as if saying “we prefer to do the talking on the pitch.”

By far the most artistic, the red team. One or two students from the Reds surprised all of us when they stepped out of the bus with motley Gothic art on their faces. The painting ranged from those expressing solidarity to some pretty complicated avatar-themed images. It was clear to see that they meant business, and the business began with intimidating the opponents with the look.

The white team on the other hand were pretty vocal. Albeit lacking the artistic nous of the red team, they came up with a number of well-rehearsed team slogans. They occupied the last stand to the far left. Their close proximity to the Reds led to frequent rivalry between the two brigades as to who could make the most noise rooting for their team. It was a pity that there were no points assigned for the pep rallies.

Dean Nam’s speech epitomised the spirit and philosophy of the Sports Day: this was a day to have fun, after the hectic Spring Semester and in some cases a few disappointing grades. It was an opportunity to get away from the books, enjoy each other’s company, refresh ourselves and return with renewed vigour and purpose.

Let the Games Begin!

The catch-the-tail was the first to go. The Navies meekly gave in to the Whites while the orange team found the Reds too much to reckon with. The stage was thus set for the finals between the Whites and the Reds, which proved to be the first of several finals pitting the two teams. After several stoppages, numerous protestations and much trauma to the umpire, it was decided that whoever fails to keep a line intact would lose. The Reds blinked first, handing the points to the Whites.

The next game was arguably the most exciting as it put to test the important tenets of teamwork and coordination: the dodge ball. The semi-finals pitted the orange team against the Navies while the Reds took on the Whites. A battle involving teamwork, agility, wits and luck saw the Whites and the Oranges victorious. A keenly contested final showed just how well coordinated the orange team was. Indeed many observers agreed that the Oranges would have won had it not been for the gravity-defying heroics of the Whites’ MVP, Nourmatjon Komilov (2012 MPP, Uzbekistan), who singlehandedly gave the Whites victory.

Lunch time came almost as a surprise, as we were having so much fun. By this time, the Whites had clearly established themselves as the team to catch.

The afternoon had soccer and relay in store. The Navies was on the receiving end of a heavy loss brought by the Whites in the first soccer semi-final. The Red team scraped through against the well-organised orange team and set up yet another final with the Whites. Unfortunately, the final failed to live up to expectation. The teams played out a barren draw until an unfortunate injury to Andrew Prakash (2012 MDP, Solomon Islands), the brave keeper of the Whites, brought matters to a halt. Thanks to quick actions from school staff serious danger was averted; within minutes an ambulance arrived and whisked him to the nearest hospital. (The Globe can gladly report that Andrew is now fine and fully recovered.) With both sets of players shell-shocked it was resolved that the teams share the spoils equally.

The last contest was the relay, which the Reds won convincingly, followed by navy, orange and white teams. However, the strong showing of the Whites in most events had them emerge as overall winners, followed by the red team, with the Oranges and Navies tying in third.

After the prize giving formalities I was left to reflect on this eventful day. I echo the words of one student: “If you are here to win, then you will probably be disappointed. But if you are here to have fun, you will leave fulfilled.” Rivalries aside, the Sports Day was about having fun. Finding time away from busy schedules, enjoying each other’s company and developing stronger bonds. Indeed it was a triumph of fun over everything else.