The Saheti open and U16 rugby and netball teams could not have asked for more as they received support from all sides at the Saheti Rugby Sevens and Netball Festival held at Saheti School in Senderwood on 4 March.
Former students from as far back as the 90s took it upon themselves to lend the current crop of future Saheti alumni a dose of much-needed moral support.
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Yonisios Sapolanatos expanded on the importance of the festival and the role of alumnus, like himself. He said, “I honestly believe that sport brings people together on all levels, more so than a classroom; more so than anything! And I’m just happy and proud that Saheti is hosting it. Being an ex-Saheti pupil, it means a lot to me, seeing my son play,” he said.
“The event has been in existence for many, many years and has always been successful. Alumni of Saheti are always here for whatever needs to be done; if anyone asks, we jump in and help.”
In agreement was Paulette Kominos, a former alumnus who also has a child at the school.
With her daughter taking part in the U16 netball on the day, Kominos gave some words of encouragement. “Get out there and do your best. All the training that you’ve put in over the last few weeks, put it into practice today and you’ll be good,” she said.
Read: Staunch support at Saheti Rugby Sevens and Netball Festival
Matriculant from the year 1999, Fatoula Avagliano, now alumni officer at Saheti, described her involvement in the festival and school community at large. “Reconnecting the alumni, bringing them back together, organising events and [more importantly] raising funds to assist in keeping children from alumni families who are in financial need, in the school, is essentially what I do,” she explained.
Avagliano reiterated the importance of rekindling relations between an alumnus, and sees the festival as an important effort towards sustaining the already close ties that exist between them. “Building strong bonds and hopefully networking among each other, even from a business point of view is part of the goal,” she said.
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