Victoria celebrates 30 years of hosting Commonwealth Games
Victoria’s sporting community is celebrating 30 years since the British Columbia capital hosted the Commonwealth Games.
The games opened on August 18, 1994, in a packed Centennial Stadium.
Three decades later, the legacy lives on and the organizers have reunited Victoria Thursday to celebrate the continuing impact of the Games on Vancouver Island.
“It’s really about leveraging the strengths of the region and providing opportunities for coaches and athletes,” said 94 Forward President John MacMillan.
Thanks to the legacy of the Games, Victoria is now home to Olympic and Paralympic training facilities. This year, it hosted some 160 Canadian athletes training in sports ranging from skateboarding to boxing to diving and track and field.
To mark the milestone anniversary, the Pacific Institute for Sport Education, a non-profit organization that grew out of the 1994 Games, announced it is continuing to build on that legacy by expanding its programming for youth ages 13 to 18.
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“Now is the time to reach more teens, which is why we are excited to introduce our Gift of Potential program,” said Stephen Chang, PISE Board Member.
Only 10% of young people in this age group meet Canadian recommendations for physical activity, spending an average of four hours a day in front of a screen.
“Finding ways to engage students in sport, in programs and on teams is a really important part of keeping students healthy and happy,” said Sean Hayes, principal of South Island Distance Education School.
“Young people will be our future Olympians and our future Commonwealth Games participants.”
Last year, the school set out on a mission to provide training to young elite athletes who attend the Canadian Sports School and who split their time between training and high school.
The question remains whether or not these future competitors will be able to compete here, at home.
British Columbia submitted a bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but the province was not financially able to support the requested $400 million in funding.
He then withdrew from the race for the 2026 edition.
“It may be that the organizing committees and the nations need to rethink how these games are run … to help share the costs and also share the legacy afterwards,” said Susan Brice, who served on the post-1994 games board that created PISA.
But like the athletes who train here, no one gives up, knowing that Victorians are ready for anything.
“You should never say never,” Brice said.
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