Held annually in different regions of North America, the BAPS Yogi Cup Basketball Tournament is an event where kishores (youths aged 14-22) gather across the United States and Canada to compete in their respective regions. The Yogi Cup Basketball Tournament promotes the messages of Samp, Suradbhav and Ekta, values instilled by Yogiji Maharaj, to bring the participants together.
This winter, kishores across the nation gathered to compete in four regional tournaments. The three-day event hosted in Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, and Robbinsville helped bring together kishores to fulfil Yogiji Maharaj’s vision of unity and youth involvement. Preparations for the tournament began months prior to the event, not only in the planning of the event, but also with teams practicing prior to prepare for the games. The event also allowed for individuals to participate in several competitions including the three-point challenge and skills competition, outside of the main tournament.
To ensure the spiritual growth of all participants, during the tournament, kishores also participated in goshtis, group activities and evening programs to continue to grow together in their personal Satsang. Additionally, kishores also performed ahnik rituals, such as puja, arti and chesta, together during the event.
Building on the vision set forth by his guru Yogiji Maharaj, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the current spiritual leader of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, continues to inspire youths to be involved in all aspects of the organization from volunteering their time, organizing weekly classes and annual camps and retreats. Not only do they volunteer their time and effort, they do so with unity and a spirit of brotherhood. Events like this tournament help the kishores strengthen the bonds between themselves as well as with the mandir.