Thousands to attend Griffith ‘Sikh games’

THE Gurdwara Singh Sabha Society Griffith will host the 21st Shaheedi Memorial Tournament over the June long weekend.

Known colloquially as the “Sikh Games”, the tournament will be held at Ted Scobie Oval in Collina from 9am on Saturday and Sunday, June 10 and 11.

Committee member Manjit Singh Lally said it was a huge event on the Sikh calendar in Australia, as well as being known internationally.

“There is a good response in the Sikh community Australia-wide,” Lally said.

“There are actually two tournaments every year.

“The Australian Sikh Games, which is held on the Easter long weekend in different cities and the Griffith tournament, which stays in Griffith and is always on the June long weekend.”

This year’s event will again attract people from all over Australia.

“We are expecting about 15,000,” Lally said. “You can’t find accommodation for 100km around the town.

“There will be some international people, from New Zealand, as well as from Perth as well.”

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Events to be held as part of the competition include volleyball, senior kabaddi, tug-of-war, senior soccer, wrestling and athletics events for children. There are also fun games, such as ladies musical chairs, turban tying and martial arts exhibitions.

Ten teams have registered for kabaddi, with 12 teams for senior soccer, including those from Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Shepparton.

While competition is only for Sikh community members, the regional-based soccer teams are able to call on two non-Sikh players to help with their numbers.

“There is a formal competition, we give out trophies and prizes, but it is a family get-together as well,” Lally said. “You can see every age there.”

The tournament actually started on Wednesday at 9am with a 48-hour holy reading at the Gurdwara (Sikh holy place). 

The reading finished on Friday morning, providing a lead-in to start the games on Saturday morning.

The tournament is open to all members of the community to enjoy.

“It is a totally free event, everyone is welcome, all of the communities,” Lally said.

The weekend’s events are all alcohol-free, but there will be free food and drink available.

THE Shaheedi Memorial Tournament is run by and for the Sikh community, with the support of the wider Griffith community and businesses.

In return, the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Society Griffith raises money over the weekend to give back to the community.

“We want to put something back to the community,” committee member Manjit Singh Lally said.

“We choose a common place to give back to.”

The Griffith Base Hospital will again be a recipient of money raised over the weekend.

Collection tins will be stationed around the stalls and grounds at Ted Scobie Oval to collect donations.

Money raised will be used to purchase items required by the hospital.

“We go and ask them ‘what do you need’, so we can buy an item that’s most important to them,” Lally said.

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