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Games demand the very best

Arctic Winter Games delivers highs, lows for Yellowknife athletes


nnsl photo

NWT 16-and-under male indoor soccer player Brandon Fabien celebrates a goal by teammate Matt Jason during their 2-0 win over the Yukon Tuesday morning at the 2002 Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland. Fabien is one several Yellowknife athletes experiencing the highs and lows of competing at the Games in Nuuk. - Darren Campbell/NNSL photo

Darren Campbell
Northern News Services

Nuuk, Greenland (Mar 20/02) - Bernie Hogan's 16-and-under boys indoor soccer team is not making it easy on their coach at the 2002 Arctic Winter Games.

"I'm not cut out for this," said a relieved Hogan Tuesday morning after his team had knocked off the Yukon to run their round-robin record to 2-1.

"They're killing me, just killing me."

Such is life for Hogan and his Yellowknife soccer team in this ultra-competitive division at the competition.

Forward Matt Jason can attest to how competitive the soccer has been. Sitting down on the cement bleachers at the Nuuk soccer hall, Jason had his right knee wrapped. He hurt it in their 2-1 loss to Chukotka Monday.

The 16-year-old said he has been surprised by how good the other five teams are.

"I thought (the competition) was going to be a lot lighter," said Jason. "Really, any team has a chance to win it. I think we could take it -- if we play our best, I mean our very best."

The chances of the NWT's junior male volleyball squad of winning a gold ulu were looking very remote Tuesday.

The team lost to Greenland three sets to zero Tuesday afternoon and now have a record of 1-2 and need to win their final two games to qualify for the playoffs.

Despite the odds, Yellowknife's Johnny Pootoolik still believes the team can do it.

"Our chances are good but we start off so slow and then have to come from behind," said the five-foot-six Pootoolik, who plays the power position. "If we'd start off good, we'd win."

However, winning isn't everything at the Arctic Winter Games. The chance to compete away from home, meet new people from Greenland, Russia and Alaska and soak up the European culture of Nuuk is worth it for Pootoolik, even if his team doesn't medal here.

"I think it's a nice city. I wasn't expecting 13,000 people here, I was expecting 5,000," said Pootoolik.

"It's a nice place with the mountains. It's beautiful."

Sixteen-and-under soccer player Brandon Fabien is enjoying his time in Nuuk as well. While watching the NWT 14-and-under boys team take on Magadan Tuesday

morning, the 16-year-old said he is happy soccer is being held in Greenland.

He added the fans in Nuuk want their home team to win but if Greenland can't, they hope Alaska does not win.

"Alaska is pretty hated around here," said Fabien.

"It's pretty funny. They're American and nobody wants the Americans to win."