LAHORE, Pakistan (UCAN) -- Clasping a Reebok bat, Raymond Rozario, executive secretary of Caritas Pakistan Lahore (CPL), fixed his eyes on Faisal as the young Catholic bowler began running down the cricket pitch.

The battle went on for half an hour before Rozario's CPL team, representing the local Church's social service agency, defeated its rival, the Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM) team, by one run in a friendly cricket match.

CPL batsmen scored 31 runs and bowled CYM out for 30 runs.

That was just a starter in the Sacred Heart Cathedral Jubilee Cricket Tournament. In all, 17 mostly parish-based teams of Lahore Catholic archdiocese squared off in Lahore, 270 kilometers southeast of Islamabad.

CPL and CYM jointly ran the tournament on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, at Nach Ghar cricket grounds, decorated for the occasion with red ribbons and banners of AIDS awareness. Asian People's Alliance for Combating HIV and AIDS, an assembly of civil society organizations, supported the event that brought 300 cheering spectators together.

Father Bernard Bhatti, CYM coordinator, told UCA News the tournament aimed to highlight the importance of World AIDS Day. "What's better than spreading a noble message with a little fun?" he remarked during a break halfway through the tournament, after he won the toss for his team to bat first in another friendly match with CPL.

Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore handed over a trophy to the overall winning team of St. Anthony Parish, along with a prize of 3,000 rupees (about US$50). The Bhai Pheru Parish team received 2,000 rupees for coming in second, and a junior CPL team won 1,000 rupees as third prize.

Yousaf Masih, a young Catholic of St. Anthony Parish, was named "Man of the Match" for being the tournament's highest scorer and achieving a "hat trick" -- dismissing three batsmen with consecutive bowling deliveries. He was awarded an Indian Airlines round-trip ticket to New Delhi.

During a tournament break, Mohammad Asim, a Muslim diagnosed in 1999 with HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that usually leads to AIDS, told the crowd about his struggle. He said he was the first person in Pakistan to be treated with anti-retroviral drugs.

In 2002, he recalled, his condition worsened and he "became closer to God" in prayer. "My faith helped me in this test," he said. In 2005, he formed Life Plus, an organization to spread HIV/AIDS awareness and fight discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. It now gives material and moral support to five AIDS patients and their families.

As the tournament ended, Archbishop Saldanha encouraged all to take care of their health and be aware of the danger of getting HIV. Noting the country's registered HIV cases, he asked the young people to be responsible and tell others about the disease and spread the knowledge of preventive measures.

UNAIDS estimates 85,000 people are currently living with HIV in Pakistan.

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