The Salaam Cup Ball Hockey Tournament
Ball hockey, street hockey or any type of hockey has been a growing culture among the Muslim youth in Canada, whether they were born here or brought up here.
As the sport continues to grow in the streets, tennis courts and outdoor & indoor arenas, a need was identified to allow Muslims to be able to showcase the talents and skills they have developed over the years in a competitive environment.
With this in mind, two brothers in the Toronto area developed the idea to bring about all Muslim men and youth across Canada for a major annual tournament to do just that...prove to everyone that ball hockey is a major athletic endeavor among the Muslim community.
Both Safi Habib and Farhan Baig have been involved with this sport since childhood and are the engineers for this tournament. Their main objective is to grow the sport among the Muslim population in Canada -- and even North America -- to encourage ball hockey in their lifestyles.
In the end, it allows each and every participant of the tournament to meet with other Muslim brothers, see the talent that has been flourishing among them and basically, to have a great experience in playing a sport that has given them the enjoyment and excitement in their free time.
What is Ball Hockey?
Ball or Street Hockey is a relatively young sport with a very short modern history, but its roots can be traced back to similar games played with a ball and stick.
The first documented history of such a game called Hurling, dates back to the Second Millennium BC when it was played in Ireland. The development of Ball Hockey has closely followed that of Ice Hockey as it has spread around the world.
Because Ball Hockey is so easy to play it is quickly finding it's way around the world in over 50 countries.
Ball Hockey in appearance is very similar to ice hockey. The major differences, however, are that this sport is not played on ice, but rather any smooth surface such as a street, parking lot, tennis court, or on an arena floor. Other differences is that, no skates are utilized, just plain running shoes. Also, instead of a vulcanized rubber puck used by our ice hockey counterparts, ball hockey uses just that...a ball. Children when starting to play this sport begin with a regular tennis ball, but when the sport involves older people and in a more competitive environment, the 'orange ball' is introduced.
Ball Hockey was established in the late 1960's and is a combination of the best skills of many sports such as Ice and Field Hockey, Basketball and Soccer.
About Salaam Sports
As sport continues to grow in the streets, tennis courts and outdoor & indoor spaces, a need was identified to allow Muslims to be able to showcase the talents and skills they have developed over the years in a competitive environment.
With this in mind, two brothers in the Toronto area developed the idea to bring about all Muslim men and youth across Canada for a major annual tournament to do just that...prove to everyone that team sports are a major athletic endeavor among the Muslim community.
Both Safi Habib and Farhan Baig have been involved with sports since childhood and are the founders of Salaam Sports. Their main objective is to grow the love of an active lifestyle among the Muslim population in Canada -- and even North America -- to encourage team play in their free time.
In the end, it allows each and every participant of our tournaments to meet with other Muslims, see the talent that has been flourishing among them and basically, to have a great experience in playing a sport that has given them the enjoyment and excitement while growing up.
