NZSSCT Opening Event Summary
The world class complex, spread over 2.3 hectares (5.6 acres), was opened on Sunday, 22nd March 2021 by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and attended by National leader Judith Collins, CEO of Sport New Zealand Raelene Castle, NZ Football President Johanna Wood, CEO Andrew Pragnell, Auckland mayor Phil Goff, caucus members from the National, Labour, Green and Act Party, councillors of three local boards, Auckland Council executives, representatives from NZ Police, and other government bodies, plus 25,000 crowd. The following sports were played for the opening event, 100m Sprints, Tug of War, Football, Kabaddi, Hockey, Basketball and Netball. A football match was also organsed between the Auckland United Football Club and NZ national U-20 football girls team.
This (multi-sports centre) has been a long-held dream for the past 10-15 years, when the Supreme Sikh Society first bought the land in South Auckland. We have been clear from the very beginning that this Gurudwara (Temple) needs to come up with a major sports facility to promote sports and good health among our youths from the wider Kiwi-Indian community. The plan is to open up and share this sporting facility with everyone. We have mothers who leave their kids at the temples onsite playschool before embarking on their morning walks. There are seven local schools in the neighbourhood with whom we have agreed to share the sporting premises during the day, to give children a bigger place to play sports. The 4 lane athletic track is already popular among our immediate neighbourhood for morning walks. Every morning we have people, especially women from a range of ethnicities who come to have their morning walks. We are connected with the broader communities in different ways such as inviting everyone to our langars [communal kitchen] or cultural exchanges of Rumala Sahib [sacred fabric], and this sports facility is no different, but also because sports is a great unifier of people helping in cutting our cultural differences.
Other articles regarding the Opening Sports Event 2021
https://www.stuff.co.nz/tarana/124625631/world-class-sikh-sports-complex-opens-in-auckland-available-for-use-by-all-communities
https://youthtown.org.nz/news/2021/nz-sikh-sports-complex-takanini-grand-opening
https://www.indianweekender.co.nz/Pages/ArticleDetails/7/15265/New-Zealand/Takanini-Gurudwara-host-a-mega-three-day-event-to-inaugurate-its-world-class-mu
https://www.indiannewslink.co.nz/sikh-sports-complex-in-south-auckland-rivals-the-best-in-the-world/
https://www.sikhnet.com/news/world-class-sikh-sports-complex-opens-auckland-available-use-all-communities
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