Hamilton Malayalees Win their 10th Sportsfest Championship
Posted on Aug 6th, 2010Kudos !!! Hamilton Malayalees did it again!
Congratulations!!!!
This past weekend (July 31/August 1, 2010) Malayalees from Southern Ontario and Michigan participated in the annual Malayalee Sportsfest tournament at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus.
This year marked the 10th Championship for the Hamilton Malayalee Samajam (HMS) team and supports Hamilton’s extraordinary legacy as the most successful team in Sportsfest history.
In round robin competition, Hamilton did not lose a game in any sport. However one semi-final loss in soccer and a loss in the flag football finals on Saturday July 31 were the only two blemishes on an almost perfect weekend. The Hamilton team bounced back and completely dominated Sunday’s competition without losing a single match in volleyball or basketball (men’s and women’s). Overall they finished 3rd in soccer, 2nd in flag football and 1st in volleyball, 1st in men’s basketball and 1st in women’s basketball. These results were enough to capture the overall title once again.
The Sportsfest tournament began in 1991 in Kingston, Ontario as a youth sports tournament for the Mar Thoma church. However, since then it has become an event enjoyed by the entire Malayalee community irrespective of religious affiliation in Ontario, Quebec and parts of the United States. In the past, teams from Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, London, Toronto, Hamilton and Detroit have taken part in the 2-day competition which helps to foster a sense of community spirit and build strong social networks. The HMS team has participated in 15 tournaments since 1995.
The team’s success has been attributed to team unity, stable leadership, and community support. Sponsors for this year’s HMS team included: A.J. RUBBER & SPONGE LTD., Kairali Sports Club, the Hamilton Malayalee Samajam and several generous individuals.
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Sportsfest and early reports indicate that the tournament may return to its roots and be hosted in Kingston for 2011.
Report by: Joseph Vayalumkal, Hamilton
Courtesy: Webmalayalee




