“Passion first and everything will fall into place.” —Holly Holm
Delhi Public School R.K. Puram hosted The DPS Football Tournament for Boys (open) 2023, from October 19 to October 21, 2023. DPS RK Puram was the host school for the inter-DPS matches of Zone-2. The event consisted of 21 competing teams divided into 8 pools, enthused to play and bag the winning trophy.
The opening ceremony on 19th October 2023 was graced by the presence of the Chief Guest, Shri VK Shunglu, Chairman, Managing Committee DPS RK Puram. The Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan felicitated the Chief Guest with a token of appreciation upon his arrival. This was followed by the inaugural lighting of the lamp, which was accompanied by a melodious shloka. The flag was hoisted and a rendition of a classic football song was presented by the Western Choir, enthralling the players and instilling in them a newfound motivation.
The Principal Ms Padma Srinivasan addressed the gathering with a motivational speech, with emphasis on how every player is a winner. She encouraged the participants to give their best on the field, regardless of the outcome. An invigorating yoga performance ensued, displaying nuanced and synchronised movements. The esteemed chief guest shared thoughtful words of wisdom with the participants, touching upon the significance of establishing team-spirit and collectively working for the team’s success. He drew a parallel between the sport of football and the game of life, illustrating how the skills required in life are acquired through team sports like football.
The oath was administered by the Sports President to consolidate a sense of integrity and sportsmanship. The Chairman then declared the tournament open. A celebratory taekwondo demonstration followed, with coordinated formations and thrilling feats.The ceremony concluded with the commemorative photographs of the teams.
The tournament witnessed deftness and agility of the players, through 25 matches spanning 3 days. The quarter finals were conducted on the evening of 20th October, followed by the semi-finals on the morning of 21st October. The winners of the semi-finals, DPS Gurugram Sec. 45 and DPS Vasant Kunj competed in the final match, and the tournament was brought to an end with the much-awaited felicitation of the prolific players. The trophy was taken home by Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj. The Best Player Award was presented to Suvrat Shankar Mishra from DPS Vasant Kunj, for scoring the highest number of goals in the tournament.
The closing ceremony ensued with an address by the head of the physical education department Mr N Suresh , commending the players for their dedication and consistent hard work. This was followed by a classical symphony by the Indian Vocal Choir. The award ceremony was conducted by the Principal, Ms. Padma Srinivasan, the Vice Principal, Mr. Mukesh Kumar, and Mr. N. Suresh, lauding the winners for their tenacious performance. The Vice Principal, Mr. Mukesh Kumar, proposed the vote of thanks, expressing his gratitude to all the individuals and departments that made hosting the championship possible. The ceremony concluded with the national anthem.
The tournament schedule along with their respective results are as follows:
| MATCH | MATCHES | FINAL SCORE |
| 19/10/2023 | ||
| Match 1 | DPS RK Puram vs. DPS Maruti Kunj | RK Puram won 1-0 |
| Match 2 | DPS Panipat Refinery vs. DPS Bulandshahr | Bulandshahr won 5-0 |
| Match 3 | DPS Greater Noida vs. DPS Rewari | GR noida won 4-1 |
| Match 4 | DPS Rohini vs. DPS NTPC Vidyut Nagar | Match Tie 1-1 |
| Match 5 | DPS Raj Nagar Ghaziabad vs. DPS Faridabad | Faridabad won 1-0 |
| Match 6 | DPS RN Extension vs. DPS Sec. 45 Gurugram | Sec 45 gurugram won 7-1 |
| Match 7 | DPS Siddharth vihar vs. DPS Sec. 102 Gurugram | Gurugram won 3-1 |
| Match 8 | DPS Dwarka vs. DPS Rohini | Dwarka won 4-0 |
| Match 9 | DPS Sec. 98 G.Faridabad vs. DPS Rewari | Rewari won 4-0 |
| Match 10 | DPS Sushant Lok vs. DPS Maruti Kunj | Maruti kunj won 1-0 |
| Match 11 | DPS Faridabad vs. DPS Mathura Road | Match Tie 1-1 |
| Match 12 | DPS RN Extension vs. DPS Knowledge Park | RN ext. Won 3-1 |
| 20/10/2023 | ||
| Match 13 | DPS RK Puram vs. DPS Sushant Lok | Sushant lok won 3-1 |
| Match 14 | DPS Sec. 45 Gurugram vs. DPS Knowledge Park | Sec 45 gurugram won 3-0 |
| Match 15 | DPS Noida Sec. 30 vs. DPS Vasant Kunj | Vasant kunj 3-1 |
| Match 16 | DPS Mathura Road vs. DPS Raj nagar ghaziabad | Mathura road won 2-0 |
| Match 17 | DPS Greater Noida vs. DPS Sec. 98 G. Faridabad | Greater noida won 4-0 |
| Match 18 | DPS Dwarka vs. DPS NTPC Vidyut nagar | NTPC won 1-0 |
| QUARTER FINALS – 20/10/2023 | ||
| Match 19 | DPS Greater Noida vs.DPS Mathura road | Mathura road won 1-0 |
| Match 20 | DPS Sec. 45 Gurugram vs.DPS Sushant lok | Sec.45 gurugram won 4-0 |
| Match 21 | DPS NTPC Vidyut nagar vs. DPS Bulandshahr | Bulandshahr won 1-0 |
| Match 22 | DPS Vasant Kunj vs.DPS Sec.102 Gurugram | Vasant kunj won 6-0 |
| SEMI FINALS – 21/10/2023 | ||
| Match 23 | DPS Mathura Road vs. DPS Sec45 gurugram | Sec.45 Gurugram won |
| Match 24 | DPS Bulandshahr vs.DPS Vasant kunj | Vasant kunj won 6-0 |
| FINALS – 21/10/2023 | ||
| Match 25 | DPS Vasant Kunj vs. DPS Sec. 45 Gurugram | |
| PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT Suvrat Shankar Mishra – DPS Vasant Kunj | ||
| 3RD POSITION MATCH | ||
| Match 26 | DPS Bulandshahr vs. DPS Mathura road | |