More funding still needed for upcoming AIG

Organizers of the second Alberta Indigenous Games are hoping this year’s version will be considerably larger than its inaugural event.

The 2011 games featured about 400 participants. That’s a far cry from the 2,000 athletes that organizers had originally hoped to attract.

But in their defence, those games were hastily assembled to fill a void for athletes who were denied a chance to compete in the 2011 North American Indigenous Games. That event, which was supposed to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was cancelled earlier that year.

Besides a considerably lower amount of athletes than they had hoped for, the inaugural AIG was a scaled-down version of what organizers hoped for as they had to scrap four of the proposed nine sports due to a lack of interest.

As for this year’s games, which will be held Aug. 4-8 primarily in St. Albert, organizers are hoping to attract 1,500 athletes. They’ll take part in 10 sports; archery, ball hockey, basketball, canoeing, golf, lacrosse, softball, soccer, track and field and volleyball.

AIG executive director Allan Ross was hoping officials would be a bit further ahead in the games’ preparation than they are.

“We’re a little bit behind because the funding is not at the level we would like it to be,” he said.

Organizers operated the 2011 games with a budget of about $200,000. They’re hoping to work with a $1 million budget this year.

“For the first one we had just the basics,” Ross said. “We didn’t have all the bells and whistles you should have for games of that size.”

Again, part of the reason for that, was the inaugural games were hastily assembled.

“We only had 16 weeks to prepare,” Ross said.

Ross added he’s hoping enough funding will be provided to stage this year’s AIG the way organizers want to.

“I’m hopeful we’ll do that,” he said. “Every week we’re securing more sponsorships. The word is getting out.”

Not all of the competitors were from Alberta at the 2011 AIG as Manitoba sent 100 athletes while Saskatchewan had 20.
This time around, however, the games will only be open to Alberta residents.

Athletes will be competing in three different age groupings: bantam (aged 12 and 13), midget (14-15) and juvenile (16-18).
Those wishing to participate in the games do not have to qualify through regional events. They can simply sign up and compete.

Ross anticipates the calibre of participants will range widely.

“In basketball (in 2011) the quality ranged from average to a very elite level,” he said. “Obviously many of the rural teams from reserves don’t have as much access to competition as some of the teams from urban centres. So some of the urban teams were a lot better because of that.”

Besides basketball, the 2011 AIG also featured ball hockey, canoeing, golf, and track and field.

Due to low registration numbers, archery, softball, soccer and volleyball were cancelled.

As in the previous running, this year’s AIG will include a cultural village. Besides traditional Aboriginal games, the cultural village will also include musical performances as well as a tent where Aboriginal arts and crafts will be on display and for sale.