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Road to the Games: USA and Australia prepare to send their best to Nairobi

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.

Photo: Roshan Ajani

After competing nationally in 36 categories across 10 sports, American, Australian and New Zealand athletes united as one team, to represent their Jamats at the Golden Jubilee Games in Kenya.

“It was an exhilarating feeling,” recalls volleyball player Noshin Jamal, “a ripple of goose bumps ran through my body.” Four days of sweat, adrenalin and intense emotion had given way to a singular moment at the Plano Sports Authority in Dallas, Texas.

The creation of this team was the first step in preparing a group of energetic and enthusiastic Ismailis for the first international Ismaili sports festival — the Golden Jubilee Games — to be held in Nairobi, Kenya. For these athletes, the journey to Nairobi is far more than an airplane ride across the Atlantic.

Shafiq Jadavji, captain of one of the American cricket teams, established an intense regimen. “I knew the only way we would become a cohesive unit is if we communicated regularly and played together often.” He arranged weekly conference calls with his teammates in order to build the important communication link necessary for the success of any team.

Photo: Frank Castora

In order to actually play and train together, Jadavji’s team held three-day training sessions every month in different parts of the country. During their Dallas training session, Jadavji recalls, “we spent over three hours a day just mapping out our strategies and designing our game plan on paper.”

Beyond bonding, Jadavji also created a daily work-out routine with recommendations for a healthy diet. Team members were so enthusiastic, that they joined organised cricket leagues in Houston, Dallas, Tampa, San Antonio, Kansas and New York to maximise their playing time in preparation for Kenya. Six players even formed their own cricket team in the Houston league to increase their “team” play time.

The volleyball team also joined a league where they practiced against professional players to develop their skills. While their victories were limited, Jamal notes “we learned A LOT… how to better our skill sets and to work as a team.”

Before the National Tournament in Dallas, the team practiced three times per week for at least two hours, focusing on bumping, setting, passing and serving. Since Dallas, the team meets five to six times per week, concentrating on strategy, positioning and spiking. Their practice schedule is only limited by gym availability!

While the road to Kenya is paved with constant practice and important team-building, emotions are also on the rise. Jamal comments, “I’m extremely excited, nervous, enthused, honoured and very eager!”

To harness this excitement, the International Sports Team arranged for a three-day sports camp at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. Athletes, coaches and staff members assembled on Memorial Day weekend for the first full gathering of Team USA Australia and New Zealand.

Building technique and team spirit, all 160 athletes exploited each other’s talent and drive to form a strong, united team. Following two days of intense training with help from external coaching, athletes learned about health considerations and precautionary measures in preparation for the Games.

“The organisers of the Sports Camp did a wonderful job in establishing a common theme amongst participants,” recalls Jadavji. “More importantly, they educated the athletes on the purpose of the Golden Jubilee Games and what these games mean.”

Photo: Amin Jivani

“I feel that after this experience, I have a duty to somehow relate what I have learned and share it with my Jamat, my family, my friends - to share, how it has changed my life,” adds Jamal.

Commemorating Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee, the Games will showcase athletic excellence while promoting good sportsmanship, physical fitness and healthy competition. Spectators and athletes can look forward to a week of festivities, high energy programming, excursions, educational activities and visits to local AKDN projects.

As she prepares to leave for Nairobi, Jamal says, “I want to meet my brothers and sisters from all over the world. I want to engage in conversations, build new relationships, learn about [other athletes] and share my thoughts as well.”

“So here we are,” declares Jadavji. “After 200 man hours of weekly conference calls, five team training events in four states over five months, endless calls with individual players, coach staff and organisers— we are ready to showcase our cricket skills to fellow Ismaili brothers from around the world.”