麻豆社区

A record 420 young wrestlers filed into the Canada Games Centre yesterday to compete in western Canada's largest elementary-aged wrestling tournament.

This year's Yukon Schools Athletic Association tournament featured students from more schools than ever before, including Teslin, Carcross, Ross River, Destruction Bay and Watson Lake.

"It was a wonderful experience,鈥� said organizer Ted Hupe.

Christ the King Elementary was the aggregate winner, with Holy Family Elementary and Golden Horn Elementary finishing second and third.

Meanwhile, Ross River School was named top performing team, with Elijah Smith Elementary and Teslin School

rounding out the top three.

"We created that category to recognize smaller teams and more efficient teams,鈥� Hupe said. "That title has become a coveted title amongst all the teams.鈥�

Hupe, principal of Holy Family Elementary, explained that the event split students ranging from Grades 2 to 7 into 72 weight classes between 20 and 100 kg.

The morning saw more than 1,000 bouts take place in the Flexihall, with individual athletes hitting the mat every half hour.

"Imagine 400 kids waiting to tussle,鈥� Hupe said. "It's 400 roustabouts getting together for an activity kids can't do at school. It's the one opportunity where they can roughhouse.鈥�

Between bouts, students were able to try their hand at lifting weights.

The day went well, with no injuries other than minor bumps and "more bruised egos than anything else,鈥� Hupe

chuckled. Sportsmanship was prominently on display between combatants on the 12 mats.

Hupe called the wrestling championship a "huge carrot鈥� for young students.

"I never see anyone in my office during wrestling season because they love the sport,鈥� he explained. "I tell them that if you're wrestling on the playground, if you're fighting, if you're visiting the office for bad things, you won't be able to go wrestling. And it's a huge carrot.

"These kids are able to wrestle and do something that is usually forbidden. It's an outlet. When some of the toughest kids are successful wrestling, it usually transfers to their school work because success breeds success.鈥�

Twenty per cent of Yukon students wrestle 鈥� more than any other jurisdiction in the country, Hupe said.

"That's huge,鈥� he said. "That's truly unique.鈥�

In February, the International Olympic Committee's executive board voted to drop wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. A final decision is expected to come in September.

Hupe says the sport holds significant importance globally and locally as one suitable for all cultures and countries, regardless of economic or social factors.

"Every culture has some form of wrestling in it,鈥� Hupe said it. "And wrestling is appealing to anyone and everyone. In the Olympics, it's important because wrestling has the most equitable spread of medals around the world.鈥�

Hupe called it a poor man's sport that is very fair, as classes are broken up by weight and money is not a factor.

"It's not just a western sport. It's a sport where you never know who's going to win gold at the Olympics.鈥�

Hupe, a longtime advocate of the sport, said he has found wrestling to engage young students 鈥� and that can only have positive results.

"You can have a kid who hates school, but loves wrestling, and so they'll do better in school and be more engaged in school because wrestling is the carrot.鈥�