THE EMERGING SWANS
The recently concluded 29th Australian Sikh Games were held in the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and took place over three days during the Easter break (24-27 March.) According to the Sikh Games website, the Australian Sikh Games are the premier sporting and cultural event for the Australian Sikh community. The Games are held every year in capital cities and major regional areas around Australia. Athletes and spectators from all over the country and overseas, including New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the U.K. come to participate in a wide array of traditional Indian and Australian sports and related events. (http://australiansikhgames.com/about/the-games/)
This year, the games saw history being created as this was the first time that there were three junior Netball teams participating from Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. The idea of having the junior netball teams participate was mooted by manager of the Perth Sikh Swans. The purpose of having the junior netball teams is to encourage Sikh girls to participate in sports and promote a healthy and active lifestyle and we hope to see more junior teams participating in the future.
The Perth Sikh Swans is a team of nine, young netball players between the ages 12-16 years. The group of hard working girls trained extensively for the games and diligently raised funds through miscellaneous fundraises. Their parents worked hard behind the scenes and unselfishly gave up their time to help out. The team trained in the Sikh Gurdwara Perth's premises in Bennet Springs, Perth, Australia and is lucky to have the support of the sangat and committee of the Sikh Gurdwara Perth.
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| The Perth Sikh Swans at Gurdwara Bennett Spring, Perth Australia, with the coach and manager - photo courtesy Jasbir Singh |
Some of the Swans, as they are fondly known, also perform kirtan at their local Gurdwara. Many of these girls are involved in the Western Australia Sikh Band, which is the first and only Sikh Band in Australia.
During the games, every netball match was preceded by ardaas, done by one of the mothers, and the girls not only participated in the games, but also did not forget their obligations to the community. The Swans took time to participate in the langar sewa which was held at the Games and this was much appreciated by the local and visiting sangat. The Swans were complimented by the organizing committee for their dedication to their Sikh ethos.
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| The Swans doing langgar sewa during the games |
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| The Swans with some members of the Brisbane Sikh Games organizing committee photo courtesy of Aman Sharma Photography |
The team was exhausted after the games but the memories of the games, the camaraderie and joy of being in the company of fellow Sikh athletes, will last for a long time to come.
Parveen Kaur Gill & Simranpreet Kaur Wadhawan