Islamic Games 2023 to be bigger than ever!
By Sean Devers
THE largest Muslim sports and athletic event in North America, the Annual Islamic Games, is expected to attract a massive turnout by teams and athletes especially given the appetite for sports events after the COVID lockdown.
The Games, which should attract over 240 male and female teams in all age categories is the brainchild of Salaudeen Nausrudeen, a Guyana-born sports management specialist who resides in Orlando, FL.
The event is scheduled for June 3-4, 2023 in Metuchen, NJ and June 25, 2023 in Toronto, Canada and will see over 3000 competing in basketball, soccer, cricket, volleyball, flag football, track & field, archery, table tennis, martial arts, strength competition and arm wrestling.
“We have been planning the Games since last year and we’re happy that we have a suitable venue that can accommodate the size and the scope of the Games with ease,” revealed Salaudeen Nausrudeen, President of the Islamic Games of North America.
According to Nausrudeen, the venue for the USA Games is the St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen NJ, a 70+ acre campus with first class sports facilities including six basketball courts, 10+ soccer fields, two cricket grounds, two football fields, upgraded gyms, newly installed track and a fully padded martial arts gym.
The Games started more than twenty-five years ago and has been a platform for Muslim schools, teams, leagues, athletes and sports organisations to meet, compete and have an enjoyable time.
“The Games is one of the most diverse events and represents a full spectrum of the Muslim world. More than 40 nationalities, 75+ Muslim organisations/leagues and more than 35 Islamic schools are represented at the Games.
The Islamic Games was conceptualized and developed to provide an atmosphere for Muslim teams and athletes to come together to compete, learn and enjoy the brotherhood of each other. He invited youth and adult teams from Guyana to attend and participate in basketball, soccer, volleyball and cricket.
More significantly, the Islamic Games provides a platform for Muslim girls and women to compete without compromising their values” he explained.
While the majority of the attendees are Muslims, the Islamic Games is open to any team or athlete from other religious denominations.
“We are happy that the Islamic Games is a place of unity and celebration of our diversity, a foundational approach to building strong resilient societies, and what’s better than sports to achieve these goals,” asked Nausrudeen, who studied Marketing/Advertising in New York.
Nausrudeen was born in 1967 in Skeldon, Berbice and his father was an accomplished weightlifter.
“I was about 10 when my family left Guyana. My dad was senior staff at Bookers working as a scientist.
“But after President Burnham nationalized Bookers, Dad did not want a politician to tell him how to do his work and so he left Guyana.
“I grew up in NY and after graduating from college I returned to Guyana where I lived until 2003. I was a founder of the Islamic Games when in High school,” informed Nausrudeen, who disclosed that he gets funding for the Games through sponsorship and is in partnership with many Muslim organisations, leagues and associations.
The objective is to inspire Muslim athletes to develop character and skills to reach their maximum athletic and personal potentials – Strong Inside, Strong Outside!
The mission is to provide organised and structured competitive opportunities to inspire Muslim athletes to pursue their potentials, while developing heathy habits for strong communities.
For more information, visit: www.islamic-games.com and for media enquiries: info@islamic-games.com or 917-962-78
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