Jamshedpur, November 5: The spirit of sportsmanship and youth camaraderie took centre stage on Wednesday as Loyola School, Bistupur, inaugurated the 41st JYOTI Basketball Tournament 2025, an annual inter-school sporting event that has become a fixture in Jamshedpur’s student calendar.
Organised by the Jamshedpur Youth Organisation for Tomorrow’s India (JYOTI), the tournament brings together sixteen schools from across the city to compete in a series of matches aimed at fostering teamwork, leadership and healthy competition among students.
The opening ceremony, held on the Loyola School campus, saw team captains leading their contingents in a colourful march-past before a packed crowd of students, teachers and guests.
Fr. Sebastian Puthenpura, S.J., Principal of Xavier School, Gamharia, attended the event as the chief guest. He was joined by Fr. Michael Thanaraj, Rector of Loyola School, Principal Fr. Vinod Fernandes, Vice-Principal Ms. Jayanthi Sheshadri of Loyola Hindi School, Fr. Francis Perumalil, Fr. Victor Misquith, and Mr. Anthony Rodrigues, Moderator of JYOTI Jamshedpur.
Participating schools include Loyola School Bistupur, Kerala Public School Kadma, St. Mary’s English High School, DBMS B.H. Area, Carmel Junior College, RMS Kutadih, Kasidih High School, KPS Mango, DBMS Kadma, Loyola Hindi School, Tarapore Agrico, Loyola School Telco, Xavier School Gamharia, Dayanand Public School, KPS Burmamines, and Sacred Heart Convent.
The tournament, which will run over the next several days, continues JYOTI’s five-decade legacy of youth empowerment and community engagement through sports and leadership initiatives.
“Sports teach us resilience, unity and compassion – values that go beyond the court,” said one of the organisers, highlighting JYOTI’s 54 years of service to youth development in Jamshedpur. The matches are expected to continue through the week, with the finals scheduled to close the tournament in grand fashion.
