JEDDAH — The 9th Annual Sports Meet of Mahd Al Uloom International School, dubbed “Sportivo’17”, was held with pomp and vigour in Xtep Indoor stadium at Ameer Fawaz, here. Aijaz Ahmed Khan, president of Jeddah Cricket Association (JCA), was the chief guest. He was given the guard of honor by the school leader and the scout’s team. He declared the meet open and applauded the school for the tremendous effort it rendered in support of bringing out the children’s talents in various fields. “The distinguishing feature of Mahd Al Uloom International School is its unprecedented interest in extracurricular activities,” he said. School Principal Dr. Firoz Mullah welcomed the dignitaries and guests. Operation Manager Yahya Khaleel Noorani chaired the program. The day featured the march past of four house contingents to the accompaniment of music from a band. The Olympic beacon was lit up by the chief guest. A variety of mass drills followed offering a visual treat to the applauding audience. Nawar, the sports captain, administered the oath, promising to adhere to the spirit of sportsmanship. The mega flower formation by the students on the field also added an additional color to the opening ceremony. Abdu Rabb, director of school, felicitated the function and congratulated the staff and students for the team spirit and enthusiasm which made the event successful. Rauf presented a memento to the chief guest. School Superintendent Mansoor Ali, Academic Coordinator Marakkar, Ashraf, Muhammed Ali and Muhammed Islam were present on the occasion. The students representing the four different houses — Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Topaz, enthusiastically participated in various events. The bright sunshine lifted the spirits of all present, inspiring the participants to give their best in each event. Besides track and field events, games such as football, volleyball, chess and badminton were also contested in the meet. The meet witnessed the culmination of the inter-house competition. The day ong events consisting athletics and games were held under the supervision of the teachers. The day was marked with enthusiasm and excitement among the students. Team spirit was at an all time high. All drew hearty applause from the crowd, a fitting appreciation for weeks of hard work. The students participated with great excitement in track and field events. The ground echoed the triumphant yells of the winners. The students took an oath to value the dignity of human beings. Emerald house was adjudged the champions of the day, bagging the trophy with the highest score in the meet and Topaz house was declared the runners up. The event ended with the prize distribution ceremony. Medals and trophies were given away at a glittering valedictory function by the school director Mujeeb Rahman A.R Nagar in the presence of Yahya Khaleel Noorani, and Dr. Firoz. Sports meet convener Mansoor C.K proposed the vote of thanks. The event came to a close with the rendition of national anthems. Report of Girls’ Section Emerald House girls top Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloycalled guts. Sportivo’17 was held also at girls’ section of the school. The fantastic turnout from the student and the pleasant weather was a perfect boost for the students to compete for glory. The students entered into the spirit of the occasion with the breathtaking opening ceremony, which was highlighted by the march past by the Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Topaz teams. Mrs. Ahlam Swalih Al Harbi, principal, received the salute of the impressive march past of the students. The function began with the recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an followed by sports oath being taken by the Sports Captain Ameera Hafeeza. Ms. Kishwer Sultana, vice principal presided over the function, exhorted the children to carry forward the MIS tradition of excellence with pride in their hearts. Ahlam Swalih Al Harbi, officially declared the 9th sports meet open .The welcome speech was given by the school’s Head Girl Khadeeja Summaiyaa and the Assistant Sports Captain Ms. Hiba Thasneem proposed the vote of thanks. The Sports Meet conveener Ms. Athika Shareen Pallikkal, coordinators of different sections Ms. Afshan Jabeen, Nisha Sasidharan, Rasheedha Riyas, Teresa Antony, Ruksana Anees were present. A colorful display of the drill from all the houses added color to the event. Once the races began, the air was filled with cheering and tons of encouragement for the young athletes. Students competed class-wise in events including sprints, sack races, obstacle races and relay races. Funtime with a teachers game called “choose your city” and a tug-of-war between the class 9 and class 10 students that added to the enjoyment. Emerald house was declared the overall champion with maximum points on the scoreboard and Ruby house finished runner up. The day ended with the medals and trophies being distributed among the winners by Ms. Ahlam and Ms. Kishwer and other coordinators. — SG