Road to the Games is a series of articles profiling Ismaili athletes from countries around the world, and the journeys they have undertaken to reach the Golden Jubilee Games. The series is being published in the run-up to the Games, which will take place between 23 – 29 June in Nairobi, Kenya.

Aalia Chatur participated in the Canadian Ismaili Games in May 2008. She chronicles the Canadian journey to the Golden Jubilee Games in three instalments, the last of which is presented below. (Read part one and part two.)

United – all the way!

President Mohamed Manji of the Ismaili Council for Canada and President Malik Talib of the Ismaili Council for British Columbia fire up the crowd at the opening of the Canadian Ismaili Games. Asif Bhalesha / Michelle Penny

In their satin baby-blue basketball uniforms, the Ismaili women of British Columbia's Team United stepped onto the court and enthusiastically roared their intimidating team-cheer before the commencement of each game. As an honorary teammate watching from the sidelines, I was proud to see Team United successfully and skilfully contend with challengers from across the country.

“Twenty-two…fifty-five…forty-four” the point guard would yell to her team mates. Each numeric code cued a strategic play that the team had spent hours learning in practice. Nervously I watched, closely anticipating the change in positioning that would take place in response to each code.

Team United successfully overcame Team Ontario in an extremely competitive final game. I was ecstatic as I watched the Vice-President Shenaz Jeraj of the Ismaili Council for Canada present each team member with a hard-earned glittering gold medal. The success of Team United was a true testament to their determination and hard work.

Reflections

A badminton player jumps up to reach an incoming shuttle. Asif Bhalesha / Michelle Penny

As a spectator for the first time, I watched many sports during the Canadian Ismaili Games (CIG) weekend including volleyball, soccer and tennis. By far, the most intriguing sport was wrestling. Despite a disparity in size, it was encouraging to see how often the smaller “underdog” would outwit and skilfully overcome his opponent.

However, my sideline experience was bitter-sweet; being a spectator rather than a player was the most difficult part of the tournament for me. I craved to belong to a team, to be cheered-on, to be part of the strategising, to be part of the struggles and the successes.

The CIG represents a significant milestone for the Canadian Jamat. As an active and involved Ismaili youth, I have participated in numerous community events of different magnitudes. Nevertheless, I was absolutely blown away by the calibre and scale of this event.

The first ever Canadian Ismaili Games were celebrated in style. Karim Kassam

As an alumnus of the University of British Columbia, it was fascinating to see a campus for over 35 000 students transformed to host a national Ismaili festival of sport. Over sixty categories of sporting events were immaculately coordinated. Shuttle buses arrived at designated stops every two to five minutes to transport hoards of fans to different sporting venues across the large campus.

Half-time shows featured large groups of talented youth, and stands were packed with Ismaili families from across the country. The Olympic-style opening ceremony, held at the Pacific National Exhibition on Saturday night, was a grand accomplishment in itself. The weekend was one of my proudest experiences as a Canadian Ismaili.

Three weeks after the tournament, I attended a Team United dinner. I can confidently say that many new friendships were formed, existing links were strengthened, and a greater sense of belonging was fostered by the Games.

Athletes from across Canada strived for the ultimate prize: a shiny gold medal. Ashif Jivraj

Although not an official team member, I had a terrific and memorable experience as a participant in the Canadian Ismaili Games. At the Golden Jubilee Games in Kenya, I know that similar sentiments will be shared and special memories will be created by Ismailis the world over. It's going to be an exciting summer...