During the month of October, both print and electronic media in
Sri Lanka begin to talk of a basketball tournament named after St. Eugene de
Mazenod.
The basketball tournament is a brainchild of former Oblate seminarians,
who formed St. Eugene’s Association of Former Oblate Seminarians in the year
1999 under the guidance of Fr. Irwin MORAIS
Given St. Eugene’s concern for youth, the Association looked at
ways to bring young people in the country together. Since most of the
ex-seminarians were basketball players, conducting a basketball tournament was
suggested.
Negotiations with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation (SLBF)
proved to be successful and the success in the inaugural St. Eugene’s Trophy
tournament in 2009 prompted SLBF to write to St. Eugene’s Association, asking
them to conduct the event annually.
The third edition of the tournament was held on the 15th
and 16th of October this year and St. Eugene’s Trophy by now has
become the number one Inter-Club Five-a-Side Basketball Tournament in Sri
Lanka.
The main sponsors of the event also have been ex-seminarians, with
three past students of St. Joseph’s Juniorate, Kohuwala serving as the main
sponsors of the event on the three occasions.
The funds generated from the first tournament were utilized to
upgrade the computer lab at St. Joseph’s Juniorate. The association also has
undertaken to help several underprivileged but talented students, both
Christian and non-Christian, to continue their studies.
A unique feature in the tournament is that it encourages
sportsmanship and fair play; the ‘Spirit of Basketball’ award was introduced at
the inaugural edition of the tournament. This award has been much praised among
the basketball fraternity and it is heartening to see other basketball
tournaments imitating St. Eugene’s Trophy, presenting ‘Spirit of Basketball’
awards to honour fair play.
Wattala Basketball Club won the inaugural tournament in 2009 and
retained the cup in 2010. They were chasing a grand triple in 2011 and that
prompted a national newspaper, on the morning of the final day of the
tournament, to ask the question, “Will St. Eugene remain at Wattala?”
This year however, their hopes were shattered as Moratuwa
University won the trophy for the first time.
This year St. Eugene’s Trophy saw the introduction of the ‘Fr.
Hebert Medal’ to recognize outstanding services to Sri Lankan basketball. The
medal is named after Fr. Eugene John Hebert, an American Jesuit priest who
arrived in Sri Lanka as a missionary in 1947 and was the champion coach of the
all-conquering St. Michael’s College, Batticaloa, basketball team which
dominated school basketball for over three decades.
Fr. Hebert had produced countless number of basketball players,
who had gone on to represent the national team, including three former Sri
Lankan captains. Fr. Hebert disappeared during the height of Sri Lankan civil
war in 1991. In the Eastern part of the island, where he served, Fr. Hebert is
considered a martyr.
The recipient of the inaugural ‘Fr. Hebert Medal’ was veteran
basketball coach Francis de Almeida, who has served the sport with distinction.
(Bob RODRIGO)
