Sabiha has been part of the fabric of SJ for the past 5 years and her final role is to lead the Stanmore ladies team at this year’s Unity Games. Sabiha cites winning the netball cup at Unity 2019 as her biggest achievement as SJ head and this time, she is hoping the squad can retain this title as well as going one better in football and badminton where SJ were semi-finalists in 2019.

Sharing her thoughts, Sabiha said “I am really looking forward to, once again, leading the SJ Ladies contingent at the Unity Games. With a record 90 ladies taking part from Stanmore, I am truly overwhelmed by the response as well as the squad’s dedication to training and representing SJ. I am excited to meet fellow sisters from around the world and build strong connections with other communities. I would like to thank all our sponsors, donors, coaches and volunteers for all of their efforts and support.”

Sakina Yusufali, is a keen sports woman and having played multiple sports throughout her life, while she was recovering from an ACL surgery, she was itching to get back on the courts!

She says: “There is no feeling like that of women coming together in tournaments, the jitters, the competitiveness, the sisterhood and having played throwball when growing up, I thought it was a brilliant time to introduce it to the Stanmorians!!”

She introduced Throwball last September (2022) and our ladies quickly got the hang of it!

Last December (2022), 5 girls went to Dubai in to participate in a tournament, and even though they did their best, as SJ had only started a couple of months ago, the competition was found to be very tough!

When asked about the lead up to the upcoming tournament, Sakina says: “When SJ heard about Unity Games being held in Dubai, the excitement levels peaked! No one wants to miss a Unity Games Tournament! 44 participants signed up for the Throwball tryouts and they certainly gave it their all! Lots of new faces, girls, ladies who had never played Throwball before showed up, and it was amazing to see how much talent SJ has within it’s community! After nail biting try out sessions, the players who got through were announced, they have been practising every week!”

Samina’s been a passionate lover of sports all her life, therefore she was ecstatic when asked to join SJ as a sports coordinator 6 years ago. Since then it’s been a fantastic journey of growth and learning, where she’s initiated various events with SJ. She’s now looking forward to ending her journey with SJ on a high at the Unity Games 2023 in what will be a tremendous week which will be remembered in years to come!

Samina says “This is a completely new experience for me, compared to the last Unity Games, as going from being a coordinator of one sport, to now being one of the leads of the entire contingent. What’s been incredible so far is seeing our ladies turn up to multiple training sessions each week without fail, and train their heart out! I am really excited to see the amazing sporting talent from all over the world, and a special thanks to Dubai for hosting all of us in what’s going to be an unforgettable week!”

Zahra has loved Swimming from an early age, and she feels that the pool is her second home, a place to push boundaries. Recently relocating to England, she has embraced various sports like Football and yet, Swimming remains an integral part of her weekly routine.

Zahra, alongside her fellow swimmers, diligently engages in regular training, whether it’s participating in classes to improve technique and stamina or attending public swimming sessions focused on individual lengths, this has instilled a sense of discipline in Zahra.

Expressing her enthusiasm for the upcoming tournament, Zahra says: “It’s my first Unity Games playing for Stanmore and I’m excited to see our ladies’ hard work pay off and showcase their skills. It will be brilliant and I am looking forward to meeting swimmers from across the world!”

We are honoured to be coached by Manisha Kara aka Fi!

Fi’s journey with Stanmore Jafferys Netball started just over two years ago where she was asked to coach the girls during their Sunday sports sessions. The girls quickly warmed to her due to her kind nature, and genuine passion for improving them. Since starting, she has led a netball clean sweep of trophies in both, October 2022, and July 2023 U16 Girls MAMT. Recently, she has been more involved with the ladies netball sessions, attending often to umpire, and teach tactics on court, therefore it was a no brainer that she would lead Stanmore as they train for the Unity Games.

Fi focuses on fitness during the training sessions, by constantly reminding the players just how important it is to ensure that they’re on top form, which will help themselves not only for the Unity Games, but for their futures as well.

Fi says:
“I joined SJ not knowing where it will take me but the journey so far has been incredible and I have met some amazing people along the way.

Everything about SJ is positive. The energy I see in the them when it comes to fitness, drills and match play is what keeps me motivated to come and help them improve each week.”

Both Netball coaches are looking forward to leading the Netball squad, and they hope for 2 Stanmore vs Stanmore semi finals, which will then mean a Stanmore Vs Stanmore Final!

We are lucky to be having Fi with us in Dubai coaching us from the sidelines!

We are honoured to be coached by Davincia Daniel aka Dee!

Dee started playing Netball when she was just 11 years old, and since then has played both attacking and defensive positions. At age 16, she was given the opportunity to get her first coaching qualification, and thoroughly enjoyed it and has been coaching ever since.

Dee has been coaching the SJ ladies weekly from September. She has been focusing on skills and tactics that our players can implement into their gameplay. Stamina is undoubtedly crucial, however she has been focusing on aspects of play which are many a time overlooked, but end up determining which team gets the win.

Dee has helped out in various SJ internal tournaments, therefore she was no stranger to the ladies, however even the players who hadn’t met her before have quickly warmed to her due to her approachable nature.

Both Netball coaches are looking forward to leading the Netball squad, and they hope for 2 Stanmore vs Stanmore semi finals, which will then mean a Stanmore Vs Stanmore Final!

We wish Dee was joining us in Dubai, and will miss her terribly, but we know that she’ll be with us in spirit!

Sagira’s badminton journey started in 2015 when her friends encouraged her to join an SJ session and has since grown from strength to strength. She is now a qualified Badminton England level 2 coach and coaches various sessions with children and beginner/intermediate level ladies. Sagira plays badminton 2-3 times a week to keep her game tuned and has participated at various MAMT and Marhaba tournaments over the years. She has also represented SJ at the last two Unity Games.

Sagira is super excited to be playing in the new over 40’s category this year and is looking forward to leading the SJ team.

The SJ ladies have been training hard every week since September. The juniors and seniors all practice collectively on a Sunday evening for 2 hours. This is where experience and agility of the team come together resulting in some super competitive games.

Sagira is looking forward to mentoring the youths in the open category and showcasing some of the awesome talent we are blessed to have.

When asked about what she is most excited about, Sagira says: “I am looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends and memories that will last a lifetime.”
Sagira promises there will be passion, skill and most importantly lots of giggles along the way.

Nasima Karim is honoured to be the Captain of the Stanmore Jafferys Table Tennis team at Unity Games.

When asked about her Table Tennis journey, Nasima says: “My sister had a Table Tennis table and whenever we met up for family gatherings and holidays we would compete with each other. My boys would love playing it and soon became very good at it. They have even played for SJ at various competitions as well. We decided to get a table for our home and from there we all started working on making our game better!”

The SJ Table Tennis Team trains once a week on Saturdays for 2 hours and are very grateful to their coach Huseinbhai Juma for doing an absolutely fabulous job. Training is intense and they also get opportunities of playing games with external teams on Friday evenings.

When asked about the training and Unity Games, Nasima says: “We have an amazing bunch of girls and ladies with a lot of passion and love for the game. I see them all as true sportswomen who will do us proud at the Unity Games. I want the girls/ladies to play fair and intelligent games and absolutely enjoy every game and with that the wins will come. To all the players attending Unity Games globally, I say a quote by Ken Venturi, “I dont believe you have to be better than everybody else, I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” All the best everyone! Looking forward to seeing everyone & building new bonds that will last a lifetime, InshAllah.”

Mariam has a Level 2 FA qualification in Football which gives her the knowledge to coach both Football teams that SJ are taking to the Unity Games. They have been training weekly at Aldenham School with Mariam, which sees drills and tactics being taught and then being put into play. As well as that, she holds mandatory fitness sessions every Saturday morning to ensure the ladies are on top form.

Mariam has played for Northwood Ladies Football Club and has been instrumental in the setup of girls/ladies sports for Stanmore Jafferys in 2015, and has not stopped since then, to ensure ladies and girls have the opportunities available in the sporting arena.

Mariam has seen the growth in Football, from struggling to get enough players weekly, to now there being wait lists!

With the upcoming Unity games in Dubai, Mariam is managing the squad and training them in preparation for the tournament. There’s a great buzz and excitement in the squad with a talented group of footballers hungry for the win.

Mariam is looking forward to leading the ladies, and she hopes for Stanmore Vs Stanmore Final!