For four days North Texas will receive almost 2,000 athletes from all across the country who will gather to participate in the United States Ismaili Games (USIG) for the chance to represent the U.S. in the upcoming Jubilee Games in 2024. Games will be played in Plano, McKinney, Carrollton, Southlake, Irving and Lewisville.
Athletes competed throughout the year in regional tournaments to qualify at the national level at USIG this weekend. Competitors will showcase their skills in individual and team sports including chess, pickleball, badminton, basketball, hardball cricket, women’s cricket, esports, flag football, golf, world cup soccer, spike ball, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, throwball, track and field, ultimate frisbee, international volleyball, traditional volleyball and wrestling.
Organized by the Shia Ismaili Muslim community, the games, combined with U.S. Ismaili Arts, are part of the U.S. Ismaili Festival, a series of national events that will select qualifiers ahead of the Global Encounters Festival 2024. The U.S. Ismaili Arts event will take place in Houston in Jan. 2024,
The Ismailis are a transnational community with approximately 15 million members living in over 25 countries across the world. The Global Encounters Festival (GEF) will gather members of the Ismaili community in one big event that celebrates the community’s shared identity, global presence and individual talent and spirit. The GEF, which will take place in Dubai in 2024, is an effort to create bridges between members living across continents and cultures.
“The Global Encounters Festival 2024 is about excellence and engagement,” Malik Talib, chairman of the Leaders International Forum and the International Advisory Committee of Global Encounters, said in an official statement. “The national qualifying events in all regions this year and the international festival in 2024 will be a platform for some of the most talented artists and athletes and those aspiring, in the Ismaili Jamat to gather and showcase excellence on an international stage.”
While some athletes participated in cricket games on Aug. 31, 2023, the USIG will officially kick off with an opening ceremony at Plano Sports Authority 2 on Friday, Sept. 1 at 8:00 p.m. with activities continuing throughout the weekend including sports clinics and workshops.