Playing Ball with Ahmadiyyas and CitCo

Naveed Mangla

Ahmadiyya Jama’at Belize teamed up with the City Council for an ongoing basketball league and they want your support. Ten teams and a hundred young people are participating in league here in the City. Tonight they are hosting an all-star game but the league continues with games every Sunday morning. Naveed Mangla explains why it is important to support this local initiative.

Naveed Mangla, President, Ahmadiyya Jama’at Belize

“Another thing that is going on now, the initiative is the Ahmadiyya Basketball League Belize and this is being done in collaboration with the City Council. When we newly came here, we went to the City’s Mayor Darrell Bradley and told him that we are here at your disposal and let us know if we can help in any way, especially as it relates to where the youth is concerned. Because the youth are involved in many negative things here. So, we believe that rather than tell them not to do anything bad, we should provide an alternative and sports is one of the best things the youth can be a part of. So, this Ahmadiyya Basketball League is in its third year and this league goes on for three months for the age of nineteen years and under. We have around ten teams, so that means around a hundred kids are involved. Today we are having our all-star game at Belize Elementary from five to eight p.m. and we want to use.   We have these games every Sunday at Gate Way Youth Center. It is right beside Gwen Liz. You know, we make a big deal when these kids do something bad but we are not actually there to support them, motivate them and encourage them when they are doing something good. So, the parents and friends, and the public should come out and support these kids. So, as I said this league goes on every Sunday morning from nine to two at Gate Way Youth Center.”