Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by John Tonin

SKYING HIGH – Arcel Siosan attacks the ball during his volleyball game Saturday at Vanier. Volleyball and basketball capped off the opening cermonies for the Canadian Filipino Sports Association of the Yukon. It is the CFSAY’s second winter sport season.

Celebrating the opening winter season

It was a busy weekend in the Whitehorse sports world, so where to start?

By John Tonin on November 13, 2018

It was a busy weekend in the Whitehorse sports world, so where to start?

Let’s start with a celebration. The Canadian Filipino Sports Association of the Yukon (CFSAY) kicked off their winter sports season, in a big way.

Before the basketball and the volleyball games commenced, a full opening ceremony was held. To open the festivities, every team was introduced, showing off their new uniforms to a packed crowd, as they made their way around the gym. Once the 13 basketball teams, seven volleyball teams and the chess players filled the gym, touching renditions of the Filipino and Canadian national anthems were sung.

This is the second season for the CFSAY, which will also include table tennis and badminton. According to CFSAY president, Aldrin Manalad, there is around 3,500 Filipinos currently living in the Yukon, about 300 of them are members of the Canadian Filipino Association of the Yukon (CFAY). Sport is a way for not only the Filipino community to build relationships, but also build relationships with the entire community.

“Sports is a big thing for us. We are all very sporty and all love to play,” said Manalad. “We build camaraderie and sportsmanship between each of us. It brings sports awareness and brotherhood to the Whitehorse community, not just the Filipinos, everyone is welcome to sign up and come out and play.”

The ceremony continued with guest speeches by Yukon Member of Parliament Larry Bagnell, city councillor Jocelyn Curteanu and president and CEO of the Multicultural Centre of the Yukon Darlene Doerksen.

“I am very happy, everyone put in a lot of work,” said Manalad. “Thank you to our MP Larry Bagnell and councillor Jocelyn Curteanu for making it out on short notice.”

Once the speakers were finished they awarded best uniform for both the basketball and volleyball teams. The Air North Jets won the basketball best jersey award, while the Big Bear Donair team won for volleyball.

After the ceremonial tip-off for both basketball and volleyball, the sportsmanship oath was read for all the participants.

The CFSAY winter season was then declared open, to raucous applause.

With the ceremony over, all the teams were put into a draw to see who would play. The night ended with three volleyball games and two basketball games.

The games were just the backdrop for the evening, the cherry on top. It was a celebration of culture and diversity in Whitehorse, using sports to bring everyone together.

“That’s our main goal,” said Manalad. “This is not only for Filipinos but it’s for all other citizens. We are reaching out to the community, it is for everyone. We may come from different places but we are all Yukoners.”

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