Sports
see also Sports in Saskatchewan | Sport in Saskatchewan | Soccer in Canada | National sports teams of Canada
Curling is the official sport of Saskatchewan, and was played there before the formation of the province in 1905. Curling ice rinks are the centre of most Saskatchewan communities. The official national summer sport is lacrosse, which was invented by Aboriginal peoples. Ice hockey is official national winter sport.
Saskatchewan Roughriders is the professional Canadian Football League sports team. The Roughriders are the most popular sports team in the province.
The highest level of hockey in the province are the teams of the Western Hockey League: Moose Jaw Warriors, Prince Albert Raiders, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, and Swift Current Broncos. Many world-class hockey athletes have roots in Saskatchewan, such as Gordie Howe, Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, Max Bentley and Wendel Clark amongst several other National Hockey League players.
There exist a few amateur baseball teams in the Western Major Baseball League. Soccer is currently making inroads as a fast-growing sport. Saskatchewan hosts auto racing on the Saskatchewan International Raceway drag racing course, Bridgecity Speedway in Saskatoon, and Kings Park Speedway of Regina, which both feature Thunderstock, and Streetstock racing. Bowling takes several forms in Saskatchewan, including ten-pin and lawn bowling, and five-pin bowling. Golf is a widely enjoyed recreational sport across Saskatchewan and the golf courses feature cross country ski trails in the winter months.
Weyburn hosted the 2004 Saskatchewan Summer Games and Lloydminster the 2008 Saskatchewan Summer Games. Prince Albert hosted the 1993 North American Indigenous Games and Saskatoon the 1971 Canada Winter Games and 1989 Canada Summer Games. There are also university, junior, high school and recreational athletic teams and sports across Saskatchewan.
Read more about this topic: Culture Of Saskatchewan
Famous quotes containing the word sports:
“The whole idea of image is so confused. On the one hand, Madison Avenue is worried about the image of the players in a tennis tour. On the other hand, sports events are often sponsored by the makers of junk food, beer, and cigarettes. What’s the message when an athlete who works at keeping her body fit is sponsored by a sugar-filled snack that does more harm than good?”
—Martina Navratilova (b. 1956)
“In the end, I think you really only get as far as you’re allowed to get.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 87 (June 17, 1991)
“...I didn’t come to this with any particular cachet. I was just a person who grew up in the United States. And when I looked around at the people who were sportscasters, I thought they were just people who grew up in the United States, too. So I thought, Why can’t a woman do it? I just assumed everyone else would think it was a swell idea.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 85 (June 17, 1991)