3 days ago
Over 800 Sikhs from M'sia, S'pore take part in sports tourney
THE Malaysian Sports and Recreational Games (Maspore), South-East Asia's largest Sikh inter-club sporting event, marked its ninth edition this year with a record turnout of over 800 players and officials, reflecting a decade of steady growth, camaraderie and sportsmanship.
First held on Dec 21, 2014 at Andersonian Field in Ipoh, the Games began as a one-sport football tournament involving just 100 participants.
Maspore Games executive council member Jasbir Singh Nannuan said the event was started by a group of passionate brothers.
He said Maspore has since expanded into a multi-sport event featuring football, hockey, badminton, netball, pool, darts, bowling, pickleball and volleyball, and included a category for veterans.
'The tournament has travelled to various places over the years — Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang and Melaka — growing in scale and attracting participants from across Malaysia and Singapore,' he said.
This year's edition was held from Aug 7 to 9 in Kuala Lumpur.
It was hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Punjabi Recreational and Sports Club, and brought together seven clubs, including the Khalsa Kinta Recreational Sports Club, United Bro's, N9 Sikhs Sports Club, Sentul Sports and Cultural Club, Soti Squad and 3J Sports Club.
Most Promising Young Player awards were presented to five players during the games.
The players were Jaidev Singh Pannu for pickleball, Jaideep Ryan Singh (hockey), Khusalini Kaur (netball), Mannluckvynnder Singh (badminton) and Mahinder Singh (football).
Jasbir said the event's growth was due to the support of players, officials, volunteers, supporters, government and non-governmental bodies, with the community embracing its core values of brotherhood, respect and sportsmanship.
'The games are not just about winning medals, but also keeping the spirit of unity alive through sport,' he said.
Jasbir added that future editions of the games are set for Seremban in 2026, hosted by N9 Sikhs Sports Club, and a symbolic return to Ipoh in 2027, with Khalsa Kinta Recreational Sports Club as host.
