One Chilliwackian has been chosen to play basketball at the 2020 North American Indigenous Games, and a second athlete is still in the mix.
Lakresha Edwards is one of 10 players on the U-16 Female Team B.C. roster, for players born 2004 and later.
Edwards plays high school basketball at Abbotsford secondary and club hoops with the Vancouver-based VK Basketball.The former Vedder middle school student is a five-foot-eight shooting guard.
Team B.C. is coached by Terry Monture and will travel to Halifax for the 2020 NAIG next July.
“I have been coaching for 47 years and that was a tough, tough weekend,” said Monture, referring to the recent BC Indigenous Provincial Basketball Camp, held at the Richmond Olympic Oval. “So many players put in the time and effort and I could see it.
“We only have so many spots and I lost sleep over the tough decision-making.”
Another Edwards, Jalen, is among 14 players listed on the U-19 Male Development squad, for athletes born 2001 and later. The final roster for his group isn’t expected until the spring.
Like Lakresha, Jalen, went to Abbotsford secondary where he was a standout with the Panthers. The six-foot-five forward is in his freshman season with the Peninsula College Pirates, a Washington State-based program playing in the North West Athletic Conference.
The NAIG is an international multi-sport event, involving Indigenous athletes (aged approximately 13 to 19 years old) from Canada and the United States. The Games promote and encourage the cultural, spiritual and traditional values of the peoples it represents.
With more than 5,000 competitors from over 756 nations, the Halifax 2020 NAIG will be the largest multi-sporting event to ever be held in Nova Scotia.
See isparc.ca/performance-sport/teambcnaig2020/basketball or naig2020.com for more info.
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