The 2011 Family Sports Day and Dabra Utsav took place on Sunday 24 July at Barnet Copthall Stadium in London. The Copthall Stadium (now the official training venue for London 2012 Olympic Games) has been a popular venue for BAPS UK sporting events since 1987.
The aim of the Family Fun Day was to encourage family members of all ages to come together and participate in friendly games and competitions. Over 700 attended the sports day, participating in volleyball, cricket, football, tennis, rounders, kho kho, tug of war, garba and group yoga sessions.
The Sports Day was celebrated in the presence of Harikrishna Maharaj with a special ‘yatra’ around the stadium as well as kirtan-garba.
Over one thousand kites were also available for members to fly, filling the sky with a mosaic of colours and shapes towering over members taking part in 60m track races that also included father/son and mother/daughter relay races.
The glorious summer day ended with the Dabra Utsav picnic supported by an outdoor barbeque of fresh corn and spicy paneer – confirming the popular maxim of Pramukh Swami Maharaj: The family that eats, plays and prays together, stays together.