Canada’s Inaugural Khalsa Cup Tournament a Success

Mississauga, Canada: The first annual Khalsa Cup concluded on Sunday with Team Malton being crowned Competitive Tier champions and the Maple Leafs winning the Co-Ed Tier. The tournament raised over $6,000 for the Khalra Centre for Human Rights Defenders in Delhi.

The Khalsa Cup, organized to implement the concepts of seva and sarbat da bhalla into sports, was organized through collaborative effort between the Sikh Youth Federation (SYF), the Champions Ball Hockey League (CBHL), World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO), and Toronto Singh’s Camp.

A total of 12 teams and over 180 players registered for the three-day tournament, which included a competitive and co-ed tier. The tournament took place at the Huron Park Arena in Mississauga.

All proceeds raised by the tournament will be donated to the Khalra Centre for Human Rights Defenders in Delhi. The Khalra Centre was established in 2011 in memory of S. Jaswant Singh Khalra by the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) and the WSO with the support and collaboration of several other human rights organizations and activists. The Centre is working as the focal point in the protection of human rights defenders in India and engages in advocacy and awareness work such as emergency responses to abuse, issuing action alerts, and providing medical and legal assistance to human rights activists.

Jaskaran Singh Sandhu, a member of the tournament’s Managing & Founding Committee said, “we are grateful for the community’s support and involvement in this tournament. It was amazing to see so many young players come out to support the Khalra Centre and have a great time doing it. This was our inaugural tournament and we look forward to seeing this initiative grow and become even more successful in the future.”

WSO Ontario Vice President Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria said, “we are proud to have been a part of the Khalsa Cup tournament and are thankful to the organizers for all their hard work. This tournament wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of the Sikh Youth Federation, Champions Ball Hockey League and Toronto Singh’s Camp. The Khalra Centre is doing critical work in India and it is important for the community to continue to support them. Our congratulations go out to Team Malton and the Maple Leafs for playing some amazing hockey and winning the inaugural Khalsa Cup.”

The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status.

Source: PunjabiSikhSangat.Org