Some 1,300 athletes, coaches and managers are in the Deer Lake and Corner Brook areas this week for the 2018 Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games which officially opened Saturday at the Hodder Memorial Complex in Deer Lake.
Athletes from seven different regions in the province are competing in 12 sports over the next seven days for the coveted Premier’s Cup.
That award goes to the region that accumulates the highest number of points at the Games.
In addition to the Premier’s Cup, the Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Trophy is presented to the region showing the most improvement from one seasonal Newfoundland and Labrador Games to the next, and the Lieutenant Governor’s Award goes to the region which best demonstrates the overall spirit of friendly competition and sportsmanship.
Athletes competing represent St. John’s North, Mount Pearl South, Eastern, Avalon, Central, Western and Labrador. As well, there’s a team from St-Pierre competing in male hockey, and a Team Indigenous, which will have athletes competing in male and female volleyball, badminton, table tennis and wrestling.
Curling and figure skating are being staged in Corner Brook, with alpine skiing at Marble Mountain in Steady Brook and cross-country skiing in Pasadena.
The remaining sports — volleyball, basketball, hockey, bowling, table tennis, wrestling, badminton and gymnastics — are being held in Deer Lake.
Three Deer Lake schools — Elwood Elementary, Elwood High and Xavier Junior High — are being used as an Athletes Village.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Games are staged every second year, alternating between winter and summer. It’s the largest multi-sport event staged for youth athletes from 11 to 18 years of age from all regions of the province.
The first provincial Games were staged in 1978, and these Deer Lake Games are the 21st in the province’s history.
The last Games were staged in 2016, a Summer Games held in Conception Bay South. The last Winter Games were held in 2014 in Clarenville.
The first-half athletes will compete up to Tuesday. Wednesday is turnaround day as first-half athletes head home and second-half athletes arrive in western Newfoundland, where they will compete until Saturday.
Closing ceremonies will be held Saturday evening at the Hodder Memorial Complex.
Twitter: @telysports
