The New Zealand Gujarati Sports and Cultural Association (NZGSCA) is gearing up to present the 2024 edition of the Soccer Tournament at the end of this month. Scheduled to take place from March 29 to 31 at Bill McKinlay Park, Mt Wellington.
The soccer tournament has been played over the last 34 years. This year will see increased participation from kids, women, children and veterans.
The 2024 tournament is led by Mehul Solanki (Vice President) and Milan Kumar. The tournament is just one of many sporting events organised by the association, which features a diverse range of sports, including Cricket, Soccer, Netball, Squash, Table Tennis, Snooker, and Golf.
Formed to encourage sports and preserve Gujarati heritage through cultural events, NZGSCA has intensified its focus on introducing new sports and cultural activities since 2021 to promote growth and continuity.
While initially founded on soccer, the association has seen outstanding community participation in all other sports. Netball, in particular, has been highly successful in encouraging female participation.
Ritesh Raniga, the president of NZGSCA, emphasized the significance of female involvement in sports, stating, "We are making efforts to recognize young talents, particularly in sports, and seeing women coming to the fore to participate in netball is truly remarkable"
This year’s netball tournament will be held on Sunday 14 April at The Auckland Netball Centre in St. Johns.
The Grand Awards Night, introduced in 2021, has been a sell-out event, recognizing and celebrating achievement and excellence from individuals and teams in the community. Featuring Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as a chief guest on two occasions, and Black Cap Ajaz Patel as a speaker, motivating sports people within our community.
The Grand Awards Night has recently introduced a “Good Sorts” segment where, as Raniga highlighted, players and administrators of yesteryear are recognised and honoured for their services.
The association has also focused on giving back to the wider New Zealand community through charitable activities, including a charity auction at the Grand Awards Night to support Hato Hone St John for the last three years.
More information on NZGSC is available here.
NZGSCA Office Bearers for 2024 are:
Ritesh Raniga (President) Ashok Kapadia (Vice President), Mehul Solanki (Vice
President), Hamendra Lal (Secretary) | Abdullah Bangi (Assistant Secretary),
Gigesh Pala (Treasurer) | Mohit Killa (Assistant Treasurer)
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