By Nolan Kowal, Sport Performance Specialist
By Rick Brownlee / Sport Heritage Manager
2019 is a big year for us at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. It’s our 40th anniversary!
So it’s only fitting that we hold a special induction ceremony to mark the occasion. It will be at Club Regent Event Centre on Thursday, June 6, ahead of our usual induction dinner on November 2, 2019.
Twenty-eight teams and 15 individuals will be going in to the hall. And we decided to go with a pre-1960s lens. Olympic boxer “Babyface” Saunders, former softball player Lou Lucki, the 1957, 1959, and 1960 Winnipeg Goldeyes championship teams…you can see the full list here.
While most of our inductees have passed away, we’re happy to have three who are still with us and will be attending: Former lacrosse player Harry Nightingale, Mary (Pitts) Dopson from athletics, and Russ Jackman from Ab Gowanlock’s 1953 curling team.
We are also inducting our first ever 10-pin bowling athlete in Ed Sobie, only our second ever archer in Andre Roziere, and Art Foster is only our second tennis athlete to be inducted. Overall we’ll have 13 different sports represented.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is that I spend months researching and writing about the inductees to really highlight the impact they have made, and they and their families are always very appreciative of this.
When you compare the athletes from these previous eras to the athletes of today, I’m always amazed at what they achieved when you consider the lack of equipment, technical knowledge, coaching, training regiments, and everything else that has become commonplace in today’s sporting world, but simply did not exist back then.
It makes their inductions even more special and I hope it resonates with the next generation of athletes as well.
We can’t wait to celebrate the accomplishments of these athletes with their families and friends, and we hope to see you out on June 6.
You can purchase your tickets for the evening here.
