The grounds of St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School on Lawrence Road carried an air of festivity last week as the school hosted its four-day Annual Sports Gala, an event that, much like the institution itself, blended tradition, discipline and youthful energy.
Beginning on Tuesday, December 9, and concluding on Friday, the gala brought together students from primary to higher classes for a spirited set of athletic contests.
Flat races, frog races, ring races, hurdle and bag races, along with tug-of-war matches, tested teamwork and stamina, while coordinated aerobics offered a colourful break from the competitive intensity.
A cricket match among senior classes added the final touch, with the winning team lifting the coveted trophy.
This year’s event was inaugurated by the Punjab Minorities Minister Ramesh Singh Arora, who joined Principal Rev. Fr. Basharat Siraj, Bishop Mario, Fr. Sardar, and Ms Rukhsana Yaqoob, Principal of Sacred Heart Girls High School, Lawrence Road.
Arora set a lively tone by picking up a bat during the inauguration ceremony, facing a friendly delivery from Rev. Fr. Siraj.
Speaking to students, he reminded them that St. Anthony’s has produced some of the country’s most distinguished figures including Ramiz Raja, Najam Sethi, and Salman Shah, all of whom once walked these same corridors.
Rev. Fr. Basharat Siraj echoed the belief that sports nurture confidence and keep young minds and bodies healthy. Medals and trophies were later presented by the guests, closing the gala on a celebratory note.
Among the young achievers was Aahaan Kashif, a Class-II student from Red House, who proudly shared his excitement with 24NewsHD after securing a silver medal in the Flat Race.
In a lighter moment, an innocent student, Aahsan Saqib from Montessori Green House, expressed mock indignation, claiming playfully that he should have won because he “finished first,” joking that organisers must have “eaten his medal, maybe because it was made of chocolate.”
But the Sports Gala was only one chapter in a story that stretches across 133 years. Since its founding on March 1, 1892 by the Marist Fathers, St. Anthony’s has grown from a modest Catholic day school into one of Pakistan’s enduring educational pillars.
Its journey, from Empress Road to Cecil Chaudhry Road, through world wars, political upheavals and academic milestones, speaks to an institution that has never surrendered its commitment to excellence.
Generations of students have passed through its gates, carrying forward not just scholastic achievement but a sense of ethical responsibility.
At this year’s gala, as cameras captured group photographs of medal holders and victorious teams, the moment felt larger than a sports festival.
It felt like a continuation of a legacy, one where discipline, teamwork and character still matter, and where each year’s achievements rest on more than a century of purpose and perseverance.