Edmonton Khuddam Hosts Basketball Friendship Tournament with Samson Cree Nation
- 12 Khuddam and 15 Samson Cree Nation members competed in a basketball friendship tournament on November 12th.
- Participants gathered for prayers before travelling 1.5 hours to the reserve for the 2.5-hour event.
- The tournament built bridges between Edmonton’s Ahmadi Muslim youth and Alberta’s Indigenous community.
On Wednesday, November 12th, members of Majlis Khuddam ul Ahmadiyya Edmonton East and West chapters organised a Basketball Friendship Tournament with the Samson Cree Nation, bringing together two communities united by a shared commitment to fellowship and service.
The event brought together 15 members of the Samson Cree Nation and 12 Khuddam for an evening of sport and brotherhood. Khuddam gathered at the local mosque for Maghrib and Isha prayers before embarking on the 1.5-hour journey to the reserve. The tournament itself lasted approximately 2.5 hours, followed by an award ceremony before the group returned to Edmonton.
The Samson Cree Nation is one of four band governments in the area of Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada, located in Central Alberta south of Edmonton. The reserve was established under the provisions of Treaty 6, and the nation focuses on providing essential services, economic development, and cultural initiatives to enhance the quality of life for its people.
Majlis Khuddam ul Ahmadiyya is the young men’s branch of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for those between the ages of 15 and 40. Founded in 1938, the organisation was established on principles of service and sacrifice, and to foster commitment to one’s faith, country, and to the world.
Events like this basketball tournament exemplify how sports can serve as a universal language for building understanding between diverse communities. By taking the initiative to travel to the Samson Cree Nation reserve and engage in friendly competition, the Khuddam demonstrated their commitment to interfaith dialogue and community outreach beyond the walls of their mosque.
