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.
The 31st Australian Sikh Games will be held at Sydney over the Easter weekend from 30th March to 1st April 2017.
Ranjit Singh Khera from the Games Organizing committee told SBS Punjabi that the event is a representation of the Sikh community’s competitive spirit.
“The event forms an integral part of the community’s social calendar. Not only this sports carnival embodies family values but also incorporate the fundamentals of multiculturalism in Australia,” said Mr Khera.
“We invite everyone for this three-day spectacle of sport and culture, which is to be enjoyed by young and old alike.
Here are ten key things you may want to know about this year’s Australian Sikh Games:
Source: SBS
- The 31st Australian Sikh Games will be held at the Crest Sporting complex in Bass Hill, Sydney over the Easter weekend from 30th March to 1st April 2017.
- The event is expected to attract over 70,000 spectators. More than 2500 athletes from across Australia and abroad will be competing in 14 different sports categories.
- More than 300 volunteers are assisting to help organize this community event. The total target budget of approximately $443,000 was raised within the community.
- The Bathla Group has the biggest contribution to the Sikh games in form of free food and drinks (Langar). The cost for this effort may go well over $150,000.
- Australian Sikh Association donated $30,000 to help organize this event. PAU Alumni ($21,000), Reversby Gurdwara sahib ($10,000) and Sikh Youth Australia ($5000) were the other major contributors. NSW government supported the cause by presenting a grant of $5000.
- Free bus service will run to reduce traffic congestion at the sports venue. The buses will run every half an hour from Bankstown and Chester Hill stations, and from Parklea and Revesby Gurudwaras. For more information go to
- In addition to sports, the event will also showcase activities like cultural programs, turban tying competition, photo exhibitions and Sikh forum.
- A vibrant cultural night filled with dance, drama and music has been organized on Sat, 31st March 2018 at Futter Hall, The King’s School, North Parramatta.
- For the first time, the occasion was marked with a tour of Gurmat Sangeet musicians across Australia.
- On public demand, the opening ceremony of the games has been shifted over to Saturday 31st March starting at 11am from Friday 30th March. .
Source: SBS
The Australian Sikh Games are made possible through the help of community organisations from around Australia. These organisations are normally run by volunteers who want to actively contribute to their local Sikh community while also coaching or competing in their chosen sport. The Australian National Sikh Sports and Cultural Council (ANSSACC) acts as an umbrella body of all partners organisations.
Each year ANSSACC names one of the partner organisations as the next host and hands over responsibility for delivering the Games to a new city around Australia. Key responsibilities of host organisations include community fundraising, corporate sponsorship, marketing, venue management, sports administration and equipment supply.
History of the Games
A file photo of the Australian Sikh Games held at Perth, WA. Source: SBS Punjabi
The Punjab region of India is renowned for its sporting history and has a reputation for producing world class athletes.
From traditional Indian sports such as kabbadi (wrestling) to adopted sports such as hockey and cricket, Punjabi people and in particular Sikhs from the Punjab, have succeeded at the highest levels.
It is no surprise therefore to see that Sikhs have taken their enthusiasm for sport with them across the world. This was certainly the case in 1987 when members of the Sikh community in South Australia decided to host a friendly hockey tournament.
The event not only brought together people with a passion for their sport but also represented an occasion for the wider community to celebrate its unique cultural identity, as Sikhs and as Australians.
