Posts in category Sports

Contact Staff For those who’ve not heard of Akil Thomas, meet the new icon of hockey in Canada. The 20 year-old from Scarborough, a star in the Ontario Hockey League with the Niagara Ice Dogs, etched his name in the annals of the sport in the gold medal game of World Junior Hockey against Russia with 3:58 mins. left in regulation when he jumped on a loose puck in the opposing end of the ice, sneaked past a defenseman and tucked it past the Russian net-minder. The goal secured a 4-3 victory over the tough Russian team and earned Canada …

Rosie Awori The Toronto Raptors have the unique distinction of being the only country outside America that is part of the NBA.. In 1995 the Franchise awarded to a group headed by Toronto businessmen John Bitove and Allan Slaight. On June 24 1995 , Chicago Bulls guard B. J. Armstrong becomes the first member of the Toronto Raptors after being selected in the expansion draft. He refused to report and was eventually dealt to the Golden State Warriors. Among the other notable Raptors selected that day were John Salley, Acie Earl, Zan Tabak and Ed Pinckney. The Raptors finished in …

Rosie Awori Kenyan superstar Eliud Kipchoge established his dominance by smashing the world record by a minute and 18 seconds at Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 16.He finished the race with a time of 2hr 01 minutes 39 seconds obliterating the world record set by fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2014. “I lack words to describe this day,” Kipchoge said after becoming the first person to finish a marathon in less than 2 hours and 2 minutes. His only opponent during the 42.1 kilometer race was the clock and this time he beat it. Keino not only shattered the world …

Jada Burke is blazing a trail of excellence as she leaves Mother Teresa High School in Barrhaven, Ottawa. In addition to copping several major academic awards, the 17 year old, who participated in the   Provincial Women’s Hockey  League, as a power forward,  has earned a scholarship to the  prestigious Lindenwood University in Missouri where she will play in the  NCAA Division 1 for the 2018-19 season. Jada, who is the daughter of  Eton and Sharyn Burke and sister of Jaren Burke who was featured in the pages of the CONTACT after he received a scholarship to attend the prestigious RPI  …

Highest Canadian College honor for a child of the community and former Dawson Blues basketballer Egbert Gaye When former Dawson Blues standout Julieth Lewis received the call informing her that she was among five individuals to be inducted into the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association’s (CCAA) Hall Of Fame, first came the pride of the achievement then the memories of those days at the Showmart Gym in downtown Montreal when she and her teammates ruled the roost in women college basketball. “Truth is, I didn’t even know that the CCAA had a Hall Of Fame, so when I learned that I …

Egbert Gaye Early in her soccer career, Shari Fraser will tell you that “confidence” is all. Fortunately for her, she had parents and friends who helped to boost hers, which in turn led to a Hall Of Fame career on the field and on the path to a professional career in the pharmaceutical industry. Following an extended run on the soccer field that started when she was about eight years old, in various House Leagues in the West Island to five years as a standout player for McGill University, Fraser was inducted into the institution’s Hall of Fame at a …

On the cusp of an international title fight Contact Staff Less than three years into his professional career, Shakeel Phinn, who holds the Canadian Super Middleweight belt, has positioned himself for a crack at an international title by signing a three year contract with local boxing promoters Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM). The contract, which guarantees the 26-year-old Montrealer at least four bouts a year, including a crack at the North American Boxing Federation title sometime early in 2018, comes with with guaranteed extensions if he fights and wins a world title. Phinn, who holds a 16-1 record, including the Canadian …

Egbert Gaye Expressions of congratulations and joy were in free-flow at the Catalonga Lounge of the Soccerplexe in Lachine where friends and relatives gathered for the send-off party for Osamede Iyare on her way to the University of Memphis where she earned a full scholarship. Iyare was recruited out of John Rennie High School and Lakeshore Soccer Club where she had standout careers as a star midfield player. She also played for Quebec’s Regional team from 2014-16. Last year, the 17-year-old was part of the Lakeshore team that won the 2016 Canadian National Championship, scoring the two goals that earned …

Local favorite takes down tough Mexican opponent Contact Staff For local fighter Shakeel Phinn the boxing world is unfolding the way it should after he scored yet another big win on March 30 at the Montreal Casino over Mexican Josue Aguilar to take his record to an impressive 13-1 with eight knockouts. The referee disqualified the Mexican at 1:45 of the 10th and final round after he was warned repeatedly for holding. Phinn told the CONTACT that it wasn’t the kind of finish he was aiming for, but his fight plans were disrupted by his opponent’s continuous holding. “Once I …

For years the Montreal Red Socks Netball Team has maintained their place as one of the top teams in Quebec. On Sunday, November 20, they again proved their worth by dominating the Jean Cambridge Netball tournament which was staged  at Ecole Lavoie in Cote des Neiges. The annual tournament is held in memory of one of  founders of  netball in the province who was also  a lifelong member of the Quebec Amateur Netball Federation. As usual, the Jean Cambridge tournament brought out the best in Quebec netball with  four teams vying  for the championship trophy and for bragging rights. Red …