Darren Campbell, Nuuk Greenland
& Mike W. Bryant, Iqaluit

Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 20/02) - It has been a struggle for Team Nunavut in the sport of indoor soccer at the 2002 Arctic Winter Games.

At press time Monday the four Nunavut squads had a combined record of 0-6 at the competition, which takes place in Nuuk, Greenland from March 17 to 23.

Despite the struggles, the Kivalliq region can be proud of the role their athletes have played in the process. Sixteen of the 37 players and coaches on the squads are from the Kivalliq. That is a large number considering hockey is the sport of choice for many Kivalliq athletes.

But not the girls Coral Harbour's Marilyn Bruce coaches.

"We have four teams there," said Bruce, moments after Nunavut's juvenile female team lost 2-0 to the NWT at the Nuuk soccer hall. "Hockey takes away (players) from that. Not for the girls though, soccer is their main sport."

Bruce is the assistant coach for the team and three of the players she coached at the Nunavut territorial trials made the eight-member Nunavut team. Trisha Eetuk, Malaiya Netser and Kilabuk Gibbons were named to the team. Two other Coral Harbour players are playing soccer at the Games, as Benny Angootealuk and Vince Saviakjuk are on the juvenile male squad.

While her team might not be doing that well, the 14-year-old Eetuk has few complaints about getting a chance to compete in exotic Greenland, except for a bout of homesickness.

"I couldn't wait to get here," said the redhead, who plays forward and defence. "The language is so different compared to where I come from."

Eetuk added she and the team are not focused on goals like winning a medal.

"We just want to do our best," said Eetuk. "It doesn't matter if we lose."

Bruce isn't worried about wins and losses either. She said she is getting a kick out of watching her Coral Harbour girls play and seeing how far their skills have come since she started coaching them two years ago.

"Over the two years, there has been some big improvement," said Bruce. "It makes me smile quite a bit."

Two Arctic sports missing

In Iqaluit, Nunavut Arctic sports head coach Peter Kaput said he'd like to see the traditional sports add two other events: swing kick and the bench reach.

"Why? Because our ancestors and our uncles say these are the same we use to play in our igloos in old times," said Kaput, a 35-year-old resident of Rankin Inlet.

The swing kick involves strapping one's knee close to his chin while balancing on his hands, and swinging his body up towards a hanging target.

The player with the highest reach, much like the high-kick events, wins.

The bench reach is similar to the one-hand reach, except instead starting off from the ground, a bench is used.

Kaput said with growing popularity of Arctic sports, any new additions could only enhance the games.

"If I could demonstrate to Sport Nunavut how to do it right, I think it would be a good addition," said Kaput.

Arctic sports at the Games include the one-foot and two-foot high kick, Alaskan high kick, and kneel jump.

Rebecca Sammurtak, from Chesterfield Inlet, is a member of the team competing in Iqaluit. She hopes to kick higher than six-and-a-half feet.

"I don't know, there's some pretty good players," said Sammurtak nervously. "I've been practising with my mentor [Blair Eautu] all week."

Striking gold

Nunavut won two ulus in the first day of Nuuk competition. Both came two-foot high kick.

Stevie Amarualik, of Resolute Bay won gold in junior male with a 2.22m kick. Susie Pierce of Iqaluit won silver in Open Female with a 1.72 m kick.

Two Kivalliq athletes made the finals of their events. Heather Kolit of Coral Harbour was fifth (Open Female) with a 1.52m kick.

James Tautu, of Chesterfield Inlet finished ninth, with a 1.87m kick in qualifying. William Angotingoak, also of Chester, kicked 1.77m in qualifying.

In Iqaluit, Mika Etooangat, of Panniqtuuq, won the Jr. Female 1,000m speedingslating ulu. Peter Lucassie, of Iqaluit, won silver in the same event for Jr. Men.