Introduction

The Shia Ismaili Muslims are a community of ethnically and culturally diverse peoples living in over 25 countries around the world, united in their allegiance to His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan (known to the Ismailis as Mawlana Hazar Imam) as the 49th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader), and direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).

 

Articles related to: Golden Jubilee Games

The ceremonial end; the beginning of an era

A fitting finale for the Golden Jubilee Games. Photo: Akber Dewji (Hakim Sons)

The inaugural Golden Jubilee Games came to a close on 29 June 2008, following seven days of international brotherhood, intense athleticism, and a celebration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Jubilee through sport. The Closing Ceremony was attended by Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya.

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Celebrating the spirit of the Games

 Photo: Akber Dewji (Hakim Sons)

Over 1 200 volunteers have worked to ensure the success of the Golden Jubilee Games. Altaf Jiwa served as the Media Director for the event. He shares his reflections on what the Games meant to him.

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Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya join the Jamat to participate in the Games

Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya take in the Golden Jubilee Games finals at Moi International Sports Centre. Photo: Moez Visram  (Hakim Sons)

Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya attended the Golden Jubilee Games today, joining an audience of several thousand gathered at Moi International Sports Centre. In the afternoon they met the medal winners and posed for a photograph with them.

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A unity of identity

Young Ismaili girls and boys carry the Ismaili Flag with pride. Photo: Moez Visram (Hakim Sons)

A special moment of realisation took place at the athletes’ parade on Tuesday morning. It gained poignancy during the Opening Ceremony that followed. A united Jamat from over twenty-five countries took a collective breath as they witnessed the ascent of the Ismaili Flag, and were struck by the notes of the Nashid al-Imamah. It is this collective spirit that has been the signature of these Games.

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Showcasing the diversity of the global Jamat

Members of the Jamat celebrate at the International Bazaar. Photo: Akber Dewji (Hakim Sons)

The International Bazaar and Carnivale Ya Kenya took place at Stone City earlier in the week and is set to repeat on Saturday evening. The event showcases the history and cultural traditions of Jamats and the countries in which they live.

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LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

 Photo: Akber Dewji (Hakim Sons)

Twelve hundred energised athletes paraded onto the grounds of the Aga Khan Sports Centre as 4 000 spectators watched in eager anticipation. A new moment in Ismaili history was created — Jamat from around the world witnessed the Opening Ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Games.

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Athletes from around the world arrive to a warm Kenyan welcome

Participants celebrate their arrival in Kenya for the inaugural Golden Jubilee Games. Photo: Akber Dewji (Hakim Sons)

Hundreds of Golden Jubilee Games athletes were greeted upon their arrival at the Games Village on the premises of the Parklands complex in Nairobi. Most had travelled long distances, and for many the journey was their first to Africa.

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Parklands complex transformed for the Golden Jubilee Games

Members of the Jamat from around the world meet over lunch at the GJG Village dining hall. Photo: Mansur Rupshi

Nairobi’s Darkhana Jamatkhana complex in Parklands has been transformed into the hub of the Golden Jubilee Games. Ismaili participants from around the world are streaming in, and are being welcomed by the Kenyan Jamat.

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Road to the Games: UK athletes receive send-off ahead of the Golden Jubilee Games

Neither player can let the ball slip away in a crucial moment to determine who will go to Kenya. Photo: Courtesy Ismaili Council for the United Kingdom

Ismaili athletes from the United Kingdom and other European countries were fêted at a send-off ahead of the Golden Jubilee Games. The dinner event, hosted by the Jamati leadership, provided the players with encouragement and inspiration to prepare them for their journey.

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

 Photo: Amin Jivani

In the run-up to the Golden Jubilee Games, Ismaili athletes from the United States, Australia and New Zealand came together as a single team. Overcoming vast distances, they built bonds, strengthened their skills and prepared themselves for Nairobi.

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Road to the Games: The united colours of the France Jamat

The Ismaili football team <em>United France</em> poses for a team photograph. Photo: Courtesy Ismaili Council for France

The Golden Jubilee Games in Kenya will provide a platform for Jamati athletes from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Ivory Coast to demonstrate their athletic talent and enthusiasm on a global stage. Seventeen athletes from the French jurisdiction will travel to Nairobi.

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Road to the Games: From Vancouver to Nairobi (part three)

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

Forced to the sidelines by an ill-timed injury, Aalia Chatur cheered-on her British Columbia Women's Basketball team at the Canadian Ismaili Games in May 2008. In her final instalment on the Canadian journey to the Golden Jubilee Games, she wraps-up with her reflections.

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Road to the Games: Tajikistan Jamat’s volleyball team has a storied past

Tajikistan

The Ismaili women’s volleyball team from Tajikistan is composed of members of the the Badakhshan regional team, recent winners of Tajikistan's 2008 National Volleyball championship. Players describe the history of their team and their aspirations for the Golden Jubilee Games in Nairobi.

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Road to the Games: From Vancouver to Nairobi (part two)

A swimmer fights hard to reach the end of a relay. Photo: Asif Bhalesha and Michelle Penny

Avid Ismaili athlete, Aalia Chatur, participated in the Canadian Ismaili Games in May 2008. In this second of three instalments, she continues her chronicle of the Canadian journey to the Golden Jubilee Games.

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Road to the Games: Pakistan’s josh trials at AKU draw wide participation

Athletes line-up to register at the Aga Khan University Sports Complex in Karachi. Photo: Courtesy the Ismaili Council for Pakistan

The Pakistan Jamat participated in the josh trials for the Golden Jubilee Games at the Aga Khan University Sports and Rehabilitation Centre in Karachi, drawing more than 2 200 athletes from across the country.

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Road to the Games: From Vancouver to Nairobi (part one)

The Men’s Volleyball tournament heats up. Ontario eventually took the gold medal. Photo: Aziz Ladha

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 first of which is presented here.

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Road to the Games: Saurashtra galli players impress in cricket final

The Vaishalinagar Scouts and Guides honour athletes at the Closing Ceremony of the National Sports Tournament. Photo: Courtesy the Ismaili Council for India

Athletes from across India revelled at the opportunity to showcase their talent in qualification rounds leading to the Golden Jubilee Games. Strong cricket teams from Saurashtra, Gujarat performed well against their urban competitors, and the Indian team will include nationally recognised athletes in table tennis and swimming.

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Road to the Games: Athletes from USA, Australia and New Zealand train for the Games

 Photo: Salim Gheewalla

Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, was the site of a weekend camp for athletes who will be competing in the Golden Jubilee Games at the end of June. The excitement was palpable as the players came together for the first time as Team USA / ANZ.

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Road to the Games: Afghan Jamat holds first tournament at the Kabul Olympic Stadium

Members of one of Afghanistan’s Ismaili football teams are applauded during the inauguration ceremonies. Photo: Courtesy the Ismaili Council for Afghanistan

Selections for the Golden Jubilee Games in Afghanistan began in the Autumn of 2007. Qualification rounds in various sports took place in the provinces of Badakhshan, Baghlan, Bamyan and Kabul, and an excited national Jamati team is now preparing to join their brothers and sisters in Nairobi, Kenya.

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A buzz in the air at NSF 2008

Footballers playing to win at the National Sports Festival. Photo: Ismaili Council for the UK

The 2008 National Sports Festival at Keele University saw nearly 900 participants from six different countries compete in 23 sporting categories. In addition to competitive sports, there was entertainment and activities for all.

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Gearing up for the Golden Jubilee Games

Fine form being displayed at a soccer match between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro. Photo: Courtesy AKYSB, Tanzania

Members of the Jamat from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda participated in an array of sporting events in Dar es Salaam over the holiday weekend in December 2007.

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