The 7thAmaan Dogra Memorial Football Tournament started on the 25th of November 2014 at DPS R.K.Puram. The tournament was first initiated in 2008. It is an annual event held in the memory of Armaan Dogra, a student of the school who was snatched too soon by the cruel hands of fate. Armaan was a passionate football player and a fan of Manchester United. Though a scholar badge holder, he excelled in other co-curricular activities, like acting, dancing and sports. His wit and humour made him exceedingly popular amongst his peers and teachers.
The programme commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp which was accompanied with Sanskrit shlokas dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. The Principal, Dr.D.R.Saini felicitated the Chief Guest, Mr. Ajit Mohan Sharan, IAS Officer and the Guest of Honour, Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran, Director of The All India Football Federation. According to Dr.Saini, though Armaan was not physically present amongst us, he would always live in our hearts. Present in the audience was the family of Armaan Dogra along with other dignitaries including a team of doctors from AIIMS;Dr Anoop Saraya, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology; Dr. S.P. Yadav, Senior Consultant ,Department of Urology; Dr. PC Chopra, Senior hospital administrator and Mr. S.P. Kandpal, Senior Administrator, AIIMS. Also present at the event were the Vice Principal, Mrs. Shobha Mehta, the Vice Principal , DPS Shiksha Kendra, Ms. Pushpa Agarwal, Headmistress, Ms. Vanita Sehgal and Ms. Anita Singh and Mr.N.Suresh, the Head of the Physical Education department.
A beautiful dance was performed by the students which combined elements of Indian classical with Western contemporary dance. The zealous students of the DPS Shiksha Kendra, a school for the under privileged run of the premises of DPS R.K.Puram, enthralled the audience with a scintillating dance performance.
Dr. P.N. Dogra, father of Armaan Dogra and Head of Department of Urology, AIIMS, spoke fondly about his son and remarked that the tournament was held to cherish the memory of his son and make his favourite game popular among the children.
The guests were introduced to the team members and the much awaited match began with the release of balloons. The inaugural match took place between the All Stars Team of classes 6, 7, and 8 and the All Stars Team of class 9, with the latter emerging victorious with a score of 2-1.
The ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks by the Vice Principal, Mrs. Shobha Mehta, whose words, “In the sunshine we know Armaan is watching every bit of the match and enjoying it with all his heart,” touched the hearts of all those present. The tournament will continue till the 16th of December.