31st Australian Sikh Games are calling you all; President Avtar Sidhu

The games this year will attract over 70,000 spectators, app 2500 athletes from across Australia and even from Singapore, Newzealand, Malaysia etc and the budget of the games is app $450,000.

Source: Sidhu

Mr Avtar Singh Sidhu, president Australian Sikh Games 2018 shares with SBS Punjabi about how the last minute arrangements are going on for this massive sports gala happening in Sydney from 30^th March to 1^st April.

Mr Sidhu appeals all Punjabi community members to participate in the games actively, if not in games then be a volunteer and help out with this community event.

The opening function of the games has been shifted over to Saturday the 31^st March starting at 11am (from Friday 30^th March) so that all community and politicians can attend in good numbers.

The games this year will attract over 70,000 spectators, app 2500 athletes from across Australia and even from Singapore, Newzealand, Malaysia etc.

The budget of the games is app $450,000.

Source: Sidhu

Free bus service will run from major cities that are around the sports venue i.e. Crest Sporting complex in Bass Hill (Sydney). The buses will run from Bankstown, Chester Hill stations and from Parklea and Revesby Gurudwaras every half an hour. The times are posted on website i.e. www.anssacc.org

Mr Sidhu says this is such a massive event that there are app 40 members are helping out with organisation.

To bring the culture of sports forward, we are advising all major clubs to bring their professional teams along with at least one junior team. So that our next generation sports persons get trained automatically.

There would be special games for veterans and young ones like hockey, athletics, soccer etc.

Mr Sidhu says that the organisation is not getting much financial help from government agencies. The Punjabi Indian community has come forward to raise the target budget of app $450,000.

The major expense and effort in the games is to manage food i.e. Langar that will run over three days.

To maintain transparency, the entire money trail i.e. coming in and going out is posted on the games website.

Mr Sidhu says that there will be something for everyone in the games, cultural program running all three days, turban tying competition, Sikh Forum and much much more. It will be like a cultural mela with sports.

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