Largest Muslim basketball tourney comes to Schaumburg

Sixty-four teams from across the United States and Canada converged on Schaumburg Saturday for the second day of the largest National Muslim Basketball Tournament.

More than 600 Muslim amateur and professional athletes from at least 14 states and Canada are competing in the three-day competition for men, women, and youth, cheered on by hundreds of fans.

Hosted by One! Athletics, the tournament, which began Friday at the Schaumburg Park District Sport Center at 1141 W. Irving Park Road, continues through Sunday with tipoff starting at 9 a.m. It will culminate with an awards ceremony at 9 p.m.

Organizers said they started NMBT to fill a need for North America’s Muslim athlete community to have a professional-grade, reputable tournament with licensed referees and create an experience for players and spectators alike.

Planners said the tournament offers a rare opportunity for Muslim girls and women to compete nationally as athletes could play wearing traditional Islamic headscarves.

Haron Saadeh, one of the organizers, said the tournament has been running for 15 years and initially started as a fundraising event for a local gym.

This year, organizers will be donating tournament proceeds to Islamic Relief USA to help with Gaza relief efforts.