REGINA - In just one month, thousands of athletes, coaches, managers, spectators and volunteers will gather in Regina to take part in the 2023 Saskatchewan Winter Games, presented by Teine Energy.
The Winter Games, which will take place from Feb. 19 - 25, will see participation from upwards of 1,600 young athletes from every corner of the province competing in 16 different sports. The week-long event will include competition in Alpine Skiing, Artistic Swimming, Badminton, Biathlon, Bowling – Special Olympics, Cross Country Skiing and Para Nordic Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Futsal, Gymnastics, Speed Skating, Table Tennis, Target Shooting, Weightlifting, and Wrestling. The Games are a vehicle for provincial sport development; and Futsal and Mixed Doubles Curling are making their program debut at the 2023 Games.
The 2023 Games will mark 50 years of the biennial multi-sport event, first established in 1972.This is the first time in Games history that the event has been hosted in Regina. The Games will require the support of upwards of 1,000 local volunteers, who will assist in all aspects of the Games, including ticket and merchandise sales, sport photography, results processing, mascot handling, assistance with sport competitions, set-up and tear-down of venues, greeting athletes, and much more. Volunteer roles are available for all ages, abilities, and accessibility needs. The volunteer drive is well underway and interested volunteers can register online.
Half-week and full-week Games passes are available for purchase now, both online and in-person at the Saskatchewan Games Council office during regular business hours (280-1870 Albert Street). Day passes will also be available for purchase at ticketed venues during Games-time. It has been a long road of planning for the dedicated Host Organizing Committee (HOC), whose work was put on hold after the Games were postponed from their original date in February 2022 due to the pandemic. The female-led HOC is comprised of dozens of local community leaders, headed by Chair Valerie Sluth, Vice Chairs Dawn Kobayashi and Alison Brown, and Games Manager Leanne Schellenberg.
The Saskatchewan Games are made possible through the collaboration and contributions of many different partners, including the Saskatchewan Games Council and its funding partners, the volunteer Host Organizing Committee, the provincial Districts for Sport, Culture and Recreation, the Provincial Sport Organizations, Sask Sport Inc. and Sask Lotteries, and many more. About the Saskatchewan Games: First established in 1972, the purpose of the Saskatchewan Games is to provide an opportunity for the province’s developing athletes, coaches and officials to participate in an exciting multi-sport event in preparation for a higher level of competition.
Countless Saskatchewan Games alumni have advanced to competition at the national level and beyond, with Olympians such as Emily Clarke, Marsha Hudey and Lucas Makowsky counting the Saskatchewan Winter Games as a key step in their journey to the highest levels of sport.
