Media Release
Sharjah, Feb 19: 'Konkan Udkana', organised by United Loretto Friends on Sunday, February 11 at Wanderers Sports Club, Sharjah, concluded with grandeur despite weekend drizzles.
The gloomy weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of over 1200 Mangalureans who showed up for the highly-anticipated Mangalurean Catholic Konkani-speaking family fest, creating a festive atmosphere.
The event commenced with the registration of participating players followed by the inauguration ceremony graced by the esteemed presence of Fr Victor Fernandes, spiritual director of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Dubai; Alwyn Cutinha, coordinator of SMMKC, Sharjah and Jeevan Vas, coordinator of SMMC, Dubai.
ULF president Rupesh Pinto welcomed the dignitaries present on the dais. The blessings of the Lord Almighty was invoked with the prayer song recited by Priyanka D'Souza.
Addressing the gathering, Fr Victor Fernandes said in his presidential address, “The effort and hard work of United Loretto Friends bringing people together by organising such events makes the community grow stronger.”
Towards the end of the inaugural ceremony, the theme song of United Loretto Friends was unveiled. The oath-taking ceremony was administered by Vinod Pinto followed by a vote of thanks rendered by Lloyd Rodrigues, the secretary of ULF.
A total of 22 teams, each comprising 16 players (8 men and women), took part in all the fest games. The overall championship of Konkan Udkana 2024 was bagged by Tru Events Team AB, while Leyton Shipping Team AB and Shalom-A jointly shared the runner-up title. Team Coastal Friends was adjourned as the most disciplined team among all the teams that participated.
The winners and runners of the individual games category are as below:
Throughout the day, the crowd was kept entertained by a series of dance performances and comedy acts, notably by Nishan Torres and group, Sancia Martis, Lenora D'Souza, Novika Rosario as well as the duo of Evangeline D'Mello and Prameela D'Souza. Dubai’s well-known “Band Open High” rocked the stage with sensational Konkani and Bollywood numbers.
DJ Norman kept dancers on their toes with his electrifying beats, while 'Team Pili Nalike Dubai' put forth a scintillating show by performing the evergreen Mangalurean tiger dance as the special attraction of the day. In addition, kids games for children aged 3 to 14 years were held within their respective categories.
The closing ceremony was attended by Manoj Vas, the proprietor of Resort Supplies LLC, along with Joseph Mathias, the managing director of Merit Freight LLC, who addressed the gathering with his thoughtful words and thanked the crowd for being present and supporting the noble cause of United Loretto Friends.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Donald Noronha, who thanked individuals and companies that supported the event in the capacity of sponsors and donors as well as each and every one for playing their role in the tremendous success of the event.
The event was compered by the dynamic duo of Roshan and Ninet Moras. All the ULF committee members were present and led from the front, coupled with the selfless support of close to 50 volunteers, to transform the event into a grand success.