The Maronite Sports day was held for the first time in 2005 on Easter Monday at Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park. On this day, all the Maronite parishes came together to participate in a friendly inter-parish sports competition. Due to the large success of the day last year, it has been agreed that the Maronite sports day would become a regular annual event.
The 2006 sports day took place at Marist Brothers, Parramatta which again was on Easter Monday keeping in line with tradition. There was a great turn out in the number of competitors and spectators. Admission was $15 dollars which included a free “all-you-can-eat” BBQ lunch.
The various sporting events that were held throughout the day included basketball, soccer, touch football, and volleyball. Various novelty events were also held such as the egg & spoon race, three legged race and the baton relay. As in the Lebanese way, a break must be taken for lunch and drinks that was provided on the day.
The following parishes participated on the sports day:
• Our Lady of Lebanon, Harris Park
• St George’s Church, Thornleigh
• St Joseph’s Church, Croydon
• St John the Beloved Church, Mt Druitt
• St Maroun’s Cathedral, Redfern
• St Charbel’s, Punchbowl
The various sporting events that were held throughout the day included basketball, soccer, touch football, and volleyball. Various novelty events were also held such as the egg & spoon race, three legged race and the baton relay. As in the Lebanese way, a break must be taken for lunch and drinks that was provided on the day.
To explain how the day worked out in terms of sporting events, a summary of how the day is run is as follows:
• Each parish submitted a team for each sporting event.
• A round robin style competition was played for each event that resulted in a points table with rankings of all the teams at the end of the preliminary rounds
• After a finals playoff, each parish was awarded points for the position they came in for each individual event – as in awarding point for first, second, and so on.
• The overall point score for each parish is then calculated by adding all the points they obtained from all the events.
The winners of the sports day for each year along with the venue will be published on this website. Since the sports day has only been running for two years, the two records are as follows:
Winners of the Maronite Sports Day
Year
Overall Winner
Venue
2006
St Charbel’s
Bankstown Basketball Stadium, Condell Park
2005
St Charbel’s
Marists Brothers, Parramatta
The other parishes will be determined to take away the title next year. In saying that, I am confident that the youth of St Charbel’s will be determined to defend the title and win the treble. Stay tuned next year for details of the 2007 sports day.
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