Intercultral Sports League encourages competition
Raj Chopra moved to Hobart in 2013 and immediately fell in love with the city and its people. His passion is to work towards integrating communities and bringing people closer by getting them out of their comfort zone. With this idea in mind, Raj approached various councils, businesses and sporting authorities with the idea of a sports platform designed to unify and promote multiculturalism. From this emerged the Intercultural Sports League, a group that encourages people cross cultural participation through sport.
A cricket competition will commence in October with six teams taking part. Raj believes in creating opportunities for the community to unite, "we want to use social sporting competitions to bring together people from different communities, people who have moved to Tasmania from different states and new arrivals from different countries".
The Intercultural Sports League is open to people of almost any age with much to be learned from elders in the community, as noted by Raj “the target age group ranges from 12- 50 years-old for active participation and 50 and above for elder-ship and guidance for youths. We have connected with like minded organisations such as the Australian Human Right Commission and Multicultural council of Tasmania to create more awareness and promote the benefits of a multicultural society".
The League has organised a cricket tournament which is supported by Cricket Tasmania and sponsored by the Royal Gurkhas Institute of Technology, Annapurna Indian restaurant and individuals. There are six teams in the tournament and the participants come from many different backgrounds and different countries including Australia, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Taiwan.
Raj is encouraging people to participate by supporting teams and becoming involved with the Intercultural Sports League. A quiz night will be held on Wednesday 28th September at the Derwent Sailing Squadron Club in Sandy Bay to raise funds for the League and a lunch on Sunday 2nd October at Annapurna in Salamanca to launch the League.
Thank you to the community leaders from India, Pakistan and Australia for supporting the cause and entering their teams in the upcoming tournament.”
For more information on the League please visit https://www.facebook.com/icslhobart/
Source: Multicultural Council of Tasmania