First Nations Winter Games a great success

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The 2006 First Nations Winter Games took place in Regina from April 16 to 21, giving young athletes from across the province a chance to meet and compete.

The games were hosted by Gordon First Nation but were held in nearby Regina to take advantage of the state-of-the-art sporting facilities in the city.

Athletes competed in hockey, volleyball, broomball and badminton, as well as in one demonstration sport-basketball. They also had an opportunity to take part in cultural and social events during their stay.

"Everything went really well, all around, from the venues to the opening ceremonies to the finals," games co-ordinator Joe McNab said of the event. "Everything was a great success."

Part of that success was due to the venues available for the various sports. With each sport in a different venue, athletes didn't have to worry about running from venue to venue or about scheduling conflicts with different sports, he said.

The young athletes also enjoyed having the opportunity to play in such high calibre facilities, many of which were built or upgraded to host events when Regina hosted the Canada Summer Games in 2005.

"Having all the finals, the hockey finals especially, at the Brandt Centre, was a real bonus for the kids. The volleyball at the Kinesiology Centre ... they were amazed at the facility," he said.

The U of S took advantage of having the athletes on campus, helping to sponsor the games. "And they were promoting the university for the kids possibly as someplace they'd like to be. And seeing the facility, I think, really helped promote that."

It also didn't hurt when members of the Cougar's men's and women's volleyball teams came out to watch a few of the games and talk to the players.

Usually the games participants are divided into two groups and their attendance at the games is staggered-the first group will come for the opening ceremonies, compete and then leave at the halfway mark. Then the second group arrived, competes, and sticks around for the closing ceremonies. With access to facilities and accommodations not posing a problem for these games, organizers were able to have all participants stay from beginning to end.

The new format was a hit with the young athletes.

"It was a benefit to the games as a whole because everybody was in at once and they enjoyed the whole games atmosphere," Joe McNab said. "It was a great success and the kids enjoyed it."

McNab expressed his appreciation to the City of Regina for its assistance.

"Hats off to the City of Regina for supplying us with all of the facilities. Our host hotel, the Regina Inn, was very great, and also the Ramada Inn. They came on board and really did a lot to promote the games."

Team standings had yet to be finalized at press time, but the unofficial results put the team representing the Saskatoon Tribal Council on top with a total of 260.5 points. The Prince Albert Grand Council team came in second with 248.5 points, and the Agency Chiefs Tribal Council team placed third with 232.5 points.

Fourth place went to the Battlefords Tribal Council team with 197 points, while the team representing the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council took fifth spot with 181 points, narrowly edging out the Meadow Lake Tribal Council team who finished in sixth with 180.5 points.

TheYorkton Tribal Council team was in seventh spot with 166.5 points, while Onion Lake First Nation finished in eighth with 133.5. The Southeast Treaty Four Tribal Council finished in ninth spot with 123 points and the File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council finished tenth with 111 points.