Arriving early, volunteers knelt down to touch up the paint on the sidelines of the fields behind an elementary school in Des Plaines, IL. In less than half an hour, more than 200 Malayalee men, aged mid-teens to mid-30s, would gather there in nervous anticipation. Months of preparation -- physical training, football drills, team practices and scrimmages -- boiled down to this single day. At around 9am, Jomy Joseph, an MFL organizer, called for attention from the nine teams, dressed in their team colors representing their respective churches. He welcomed everyone to the 10th annual MFL Church Tournament.
Catholics, Orthodox, Pentecostals, and Mar Thomites bowed their heads as the original MFL founder Robby Abraham opened the tournament in a word of prayer. Ten years ago, the MFL began as simply Saturday morning pick-up games at a local park. Robby would pray with the men before and after every game, challenging them to see the bigger picture beyond football, and to live a Christian life, in word and deed, on and off the field. Robby laid the foundation for what MFL has become today. While the game and participation rules have changed over the years, the pick-up games and annual tournament - organized now through its Facebook group and website (www.themfl.com) -- continue to have a strong emphasis on prayer and sportsmanship.
The MFL Tournament is open to men aged 15 and over who are members of a Malayalee Church. "We consider the MFL to be a service that churches can use to help drive fellowship within their community," says Shawn Thomas, an MFL organizer, "Yes, the goal is to win but the only way to do that is to forge relationships, practice together, and spend time building one another up."
Each team participating in the MFL tournament must only be comprised of members from one Malayalee church. "In previous years, without this rule, captains were able to cherry-pick the best-known athletes in their community," says Jomy, "but now they are encouraged to look within their own community and invest in creating relationships with the youth of their church."
The St. Gregorios Orthodox Church has been the longest-standing MFL team, playing in the tournament from its very first year. "Over the last ten years, our team has been built on fellowship and the importance of brotherhood," says Stanley Thomas, OPD Captain, "Through the MFL, the team develops a trust for each other on the field and, with practice, ultimately play well together. It is our hope that this brotherhood extends off the field as well in order to serve and glorify Christ."
The MFL's emphasis on building the community is clearly evident on the day of the tournament. And it is not just contained to the participants. Brothers, sisters, wives, friends, and other supportive church members come out in droves with signs, home-made food, and ebullient cheers.
Without doubt, the largest (and loudest) fan base belonged to the defending champions CMTC Team 6. Their cheers though were amidst a more somber backdrop. This year's MFL tournament was dedicated to the loving memory of their captain Benji Kurian, who tragically passed away just a few months prior. In honor of their friend and captain, each Team 6 member wore uniforms with "BK55"" written just over their hearts.
Team 6, in their blazing orange uniforms, fought their way through three games to square off against the St. Thomas Syro Malabar team in the Championship match. With the tournament running longer than expected, the last few minutes of the game were played just before sunset. In the waning daylight, the game ended with a St. Thomas Syro Malabar Warriors victory over the defending champions.
During the trophy ceremony, the MFL organizers thanked the teams and fans for their support, and Toby Kavukattu handed the Syro Malabar team their first ever MFL trophy. To close the tournament, both rival teams, now tattered and bruised, not only congratulated each other but knelt down under the cover of night and prayed - prayed to thank God, prayed in remembrance of Benji, and prayed for each other.
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Never met Benji, but I can see the amount of people that he touched in his lifetime. You all paid him a great amount of respect through playing in his memory... God bless him and his family.
moduthagam 3 months ago