DAR Hosts Supreme Council Sports Festival

The paramount event in the community calendar for the month of December, 1997 was the 8th KSI Supreme Council Sports Festival. Ever since the Festival was inaugurated in 1984, the event has continued to draw increasing interest amongst community sportsmen in and out of Africa.

 

This year's event, hosted by Union Sports Club, was another success with 358 players from 14 Jamats around the world congregating in Dar es Salaam for the event held here from 22 December to 27 December, 1997. The participating Jamats were hosts Dar es salaam (which was represented by three teams), Aden (which participated for the first time with a contingent of three table-tennis players), Nairobi, Arusha,  Kigoma, Morogoro, Moshi, Mtwara, Songea, Tanga,   Madagascar, Dubai, Stanmore and Karachi. A notable absence was that of the Mombasa team which could not make it because of the elections in Kenya. North American teams were also absent apparently because they had organised a separate tournament.

 

The games contested were football (7 teams), cricket (7 teams), volleyball (12 teams), tennis (6 teams), table tennis (12 teams), squash (7 teams) and golf (6 teams). 

 

The final results were:

Football [Abdulrasool Lakha Trophy]

Winner: Madagascar
Runner-up: Dar Union Red
The final was won 5-4 on penalties by Madagascar.

The best player award went to Abbas Kermali of Dar Union Red while Aziz Fazal of Tanga was awarded the 'best upcoming player' award.

 

Cricket [Late Ebrahim Sheriff Dewji trophy]

Winner: Nairobi Jafferys
Runner-up: Dar Union Red
Nairobi convincingly won the final by 9 wickets.
The best batsman award went to Saqlain of Karachi while Ahmed Sumar of Dar Union Red was declared the best bowler. Dubai's Imran Lakha was abjudged the best bowler and Kenya's national team captain, Aasif Karim the best all-rounder.

 

Volleyball [Late Abdul Nasser Virji Trophy]

Winner: Dar Union Red
Runner-up: Songea
Dar Union Red beat Songea 2-1 in an exciting final where the pendulum of fortunes swayed to and fro. Asif Jeraj of Dar Union Red was declared the best player of the tornament while the best upcoming player award went to Dilawar Dhalla of Songea.

 

Lawn tennis [Abdulhussein Nurmohamed trophy]
Winner: Dar Union Red
Runner-up: Nairobi
The individual event was won by Ally Dewji of Dar Union Red while the runner-up was Ali Khimji also of Dar Union Red. The award was the best upcoming player went to Muhammad Rafiq Khimji of Tanga.

Table tennis [Mohamed Dhirani trophy]
Winner: Aden
Runner-up: Union Red
The individual event was won by Mohamed Abbas of Aden while the runner-up was Nadeem also of Aden. The best upcoming player was Sajjad Sheriff of Dar Union.

 

Squash [Late Muhammadali Meghji Trophy]
Winner: Dar Union Red
Runner-up: Moshi

In the final the Dar team beat Moshi 2-1. Arusha and Nairobi stole the glories in the individual event which was won by Ali Asgher Hirji of Arusha who beat Shabbir Walji of Nairobi in the final. The best upcoming player was Ahmed Gulamali of Dar Union Red.