Windspeaker Sports Briefs - May

Event helps reward
Family and friends of a pair of Aboriginal teenagers that were last seen in Quebec three years ago are organizing a run/walk to raise funds for the reward to help find the girls. Maisy Odjick and Shannon Alexander were 16 and 17, respectively, when they were last seen in early September of 2008 in Maniwaki, Que. So far more than $16,000 has been raised for a reward to help find the pair. Further awareness about the girls’ disappearance will be raised thanks to the KZ Run/Walk for Maisy and Shannon that will be staged June 19 at the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, a small Algonquin community in Quebec. A Web site, www.findmaisyandshannon.com, has also been set up to detail the case. The Web site also provides all registration details for the walk/run. Participants, who can walk or run the courses, can choose one of three distances to enter; two kilometres, 5K or 10K.

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Nationals in Saskatoon
Aboriginal badminton players will converge in Saskatoon this summer to determine some national bragging rights. The Canadian Aboriginal tournament will be held July 5 to 9 at Walter Murray Collegiate in Saskatoon. The national event will feature four age groupings: under 12, under 14, under 16, and under 18. There will be separate female and male divisions for both singles and doubles play. And there will also be a mixed doubles event in each age group. If they wish, participants can enter in three events: singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Organizers will even attempt to find partners for those that do not have one. The national tournament is organized by the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the Saskatchewan Badminton Association. In order to be eligible for the national event, competitors must be Aboriginal and registered with a provincial or territorial badminton association affiliated with Badminton Canada.
Since tournament officials will try to match up competitors looking for a partner for doubles action, entrants will not necessarily be representing their province or territory. The entry fee for the tournament is $100. Registrations will only be accepted until June 15. Registered players can also attend a camp that will be held on July 4. That event will feature Olympic and national team badminton players. The camp will also include nutritional, mental and physical sessions. More information on the nationals is available by contacting Mark Arcand via email at markarcand@sktc.sk.ca or by phone at (306) 956 6100 or (306) 280 5394.
 

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New Manitoba event
Aboriginal athletes from Manitoba will still be able to take part in a multi-sport competition this summer. The 2011 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), which were originally scheduled for Milwaukee, ended up being cancelled. In response to that, officials from the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council decided to organize their own multi-sport games. The result is the Manitoba Indigenous Invitational Games, which will be held July 11 through July 23. The games will be held at a pair of locations, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and the Peguis First Nation. During the first week of action, the Opaskwayak Cree Nation will host soccer, basketball, golf, archery and canoeing competitions. Both female and male events will be conducted in various age groupings. The Peguis First Nation will then stage volleyball, softball and wrestling competitions during the second week of the games. Some of those athletes that compete in the Manitoba Indigenous Invitational Games will also be eligible to take part in the various 2012 North American Indigenous Sport Championships. These events, which will be staged in various locations across Canada, were created to replace the fact this year’s NAIG were cancelled.

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Maracle still playing pro

Almost a decade after he last appeared in the National Hockey League, Aboriginal net minder Norm Maracle is still playing professional hockey. The 36-year-old Mohawk, who is from the Tyendinaga First Nation near Belleville, Ont., toiled with the Rosenheim Star Bulls this past season. The Star Bulls are members of Germany’s Second Division pro league. Maracle appeared in 44 games with the Rosenheim side and had a 24-19 record and a 2.51 goals-against average. The Star Bulls placed seventh in their 13-team league. The club then advanced to the playoff semi-final round before being eliminated. Rosenheim is the third German squad that Maracle has played for during his career. He’s also been a member of pro teams in Russia and Austria since leaving the North American hockey scene. Maracle played 66 games in the NHL, suiting up for the Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers. He last played in the league during the 2001-02 season with Atlanta.