In 2018, a group of friends from the Dawoodi Bohra community of London started playing badminton together at Southall Sports Centre as a fun way to socialise and help each other stay fit. As the group of friends expanded, so did the commitment, and now more than 20 London Bohras meet up to three days a week to play badminton and “Get Fit Kwik”, as the group has become known. For some, it is a way to socialise, for others it provides a necessary workout to maintain a healthy lifestyle while working a 9-5 desk job.
On 19 March 2022, the badminton group, led by Murtaza Hussein, held a doubles tournament that raised £900 to provide humanitarian aid for displaced people in Ukraine. Six teams participated in the tournament, with everyone paying a participation fee that was donated to a humanitarian aid fund run by Murtaza’s workplace, Pitchbook.
Dawoodi Bohras have always been guided to lead healthy and active lifestyles, and – through their global Project Rise initiative – help those less fortunate and in need of assistance. For organiser Murtaza Hussein, the tournament was a resounding success: “It is great to see the impact that one idea and a small group of people coming together can make!”