April 13th event will celebrate Vaisakhi.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: In the wake of their successful Bollywood Night on April 2, the NBA’s Sacramento Kings will host a Sikh Community Night at their hometown Sleep Train Stadium on Sunday, April 13.
The event will feature traditional Gidha performances before the game, by dance groups Majajana and Kunja Punjab Diyan, both local Punjabi dance teams. The half-time show will feature a bhangra performance by Ankhiley Gabroo, a Sacramento-based dance team that is considered one of country’s best independent bhangra squads. According to a press release issued by the team, the event will also celebrate Vaisakhi, one of the biggest religious celebrations for Sikhs, and will also highlight the birth and history of Sikhism.
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The Kings organization sent out a flyer announcing the Sikh Community Night to the local Sikh population, offering group discount rates and encouraging a large number of Sikhs and Punjabi-origin patrons to come out and support the team. The flyer also says that, in recognition of Global Dastar (“turban”) Day, which is also on April 13, Sikh men and women are encouraged to wear a Kesari Dastar or Dupatta (traditional scarf worn by women).
The event is set to take place just eleven days after the Kings hosted what they hope will be their first annual Bollywood Night, which featured dance performances inspired by Hindi cinema, and in which fans received t-shirts with “Kings” written in Hindi on them. That night, the Kings beat the Los Angeles Lakers – this time, they’ll be playing the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 39-39 and a far sight better than the 27-52 Kings.
There is no word yet on if any special goodies will be given out to fans at this game. As the regular season approaches its end, and the Kings have no shot whatsoever at making the playoffs, this will almost certainly be the last cultural night hosted by the team and its owner, Vivek Ranadivé .
Speaking before Bollywood Night, Ranadivé said he hopes to more actively engage the local Indian American community, and hold more such events during the 2014-2015 regular season.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com