Quest to add events to Canada Games can be a challenging one
Arturo Chang | CBC News | Posted: March 2, 2023 10:00 AM | Last Updated: March 2, 2023
Karate, curling mixed doubles, and women's boxing are debuting in P.E.I. this year
Some additions to the Canada Games' event program may seem obvious, but for organizers the process is anything but.
The 2023 Winter Games in P.E.I. saw the addition of the sport of karate as well as two new events within existing sports: women's boxing and curling mixed doubles.
Ontario boxer Ruqaya Nawaz will be competing in the 50-kg weight class as women's boxing makes its Winter Games debut. She says it's about time female boxers get the same spotlight as the men.
"I wish it was in the Games earlier," she said. "But I think this is a very cool opportunity to be a part of, and I'm really happy that we're making history."
The decision on which events are in and which are out is not made casually.
Kelly-Ann Paul, president and CEO of the Canada Games Council, says that long before the actual sporting competition begins, there's another competition to see which events are added.
"We go through a very, very rigorous, very objective sports selection process," she said.
"There's about 65 funded national sport organizations in Canada that want to be on the Canada Games program, but we only have so much room."
Paul said there is space for about 37 sports on the summer and winter program. To make room for women's boxing, the council worked with Boxing Canada to cut some of the men's weight classes from the program.
She said the council takes into account factors related to sports development as well as local and social priorities, including promoting inclusion.
"Karate is making its debut on the Canada Games program — again, a gender-balanced sport," she said. "Obviously, it shows a lot of diversity in that sport, and it's been a really exciting sport to watch."
Artistic swimming, which had been part of the winter program since the inaugural Games, was moved to the summer program and didn't make an appearance on Prince Edward Island this year. Meanwhile, fencing returned after being absent from the Games for 10 years.
Inspiring the next generation
Theresa Breen, technical representative for Curling Canada, says the inclusion of mixed doubles into the program allows more athletes to display their skill on a national stage.
Some of the athletes in mixed doubles are also competing in the other curling events. But mixed doubles is a U20 event, while the girls' and boys' events are U18 at the Games, allowing for a broader range of participants.
Though men's and women's events have been full Olympic sports since the 2018 Nagano Games, the mixed doubles event was added to the Olympics only in 2018.
"Hopefully [it] will inspire athletes to continue in the game and to bring their fans and friends and family as well," Breen said of mixed doubles coming to the Canada Games.
"It's a really exciting, fast-paced game that people love to watch."
Meanwhile, female boxers say they hope this is just the first of many more appearances for them on the big stage.
"All women, I feel, we work really hard in the gym to achieve the most that we can in our discipline," said Alessia Mansueto, who's competing in the 60-kg class.
"I think it's gonna be very nice for other young athletes, especially the female athletes, to see that girls can box no matter what the circumstances."