Released on July 28, 2017
The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to add their congratulations to the 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Team Saskatchewan as the athletes make their way home.The ninth annual NAIG were held in Toronto from July 16-23. Team Saskatchewan finished second overall with a medal count of 166 including 65 gold. This outstanding achievement follows a second place overall finish at the last games, hosted in Regina in 2014.
“Team Saskatchewan has excelled at all nine NAIG events and I congratulate the team on another successful performance in 2017,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “These young athletes are role models for communities across the province. They prove what passion for sport, teamwork and dedication can achieve.”
Saskatchewan athletes as young as 14 participated in 14 sport categories including athletics, basketball, lacrosse, soccer and wrestling. Athletes succeeded in individual and team sports, winning medals in every sport category.
In athletics, a number of Team Saskatchewan athletes won three to six gold medals each. Among the many teams successful at the games, the 16U male box lacrosse team won silver and the 19U female softball team won gold.Since the games began in 1990, Team Saskatchewan has won six NAIG overall team titles and finished second overall at the other three games.
The North American Indigenous Games is a sporting and cultural event for participants of Indigenous background in Canada and the United States. At the 2017 games, teams represented all thirteen Canadian provinces and territories along with nine teams representing states including New York, Florida and California.Saskatchewan’s athletic talent will continue to shine this summer at the Canada Summer Games July 28-August 9 in Winnipeg, and the Saskatchewan First Nations Summer Games August 6-11 in Regina.
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For more information contact:
Jill Sveinson
Parks, Culture and Sport
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5781
Email: jill.sveinson@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-527-8152