Zarathushti Games

Vancouver is busy preparing for the Ninth Zarathushti Games of North America scheduled for July 1-4, 2004 at the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus. The opening ceremony is slated for the War Memorial Gym on July 1. The Games, an activity of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), are held every alternate year over the US Independence Day weekend when North American athletes gather to compete in basketball, volleyball, swimming, track and field events, table tennis, badminton and more. The host anjuman provides the local games organizing committee some seed money which, along with some advances from FEZANA, helps it to get started with organizing the program.

Among the highlights of the Vancouver based program are a dinner dance on July 2 and a harbor cruise on July 3. The "Austin Powers” themed dinner dance at the Grand Ballroom of the UBC Student Union Building with a live band in attendance promises Persian and Indian dance music. The cruise aboard the majestic Britannia will provide not only fresh sea breeze but music and dancing under the stars. With tickets priced at $ 25 and $ 59 respectively, together with registration fees and payments for other attractions, the Games will hopefully net a surplus that will be divided 70:30 between ZSBC and FEZANA’s Zoroastrian Sports Committee, as per the explanation provided by ZSBC treasurer Farrokh Namdaran quoted in the association’s newsletter.