Olympic Qualification - Positive Story

I can only consider one thing to write about today, Canada qualifying for the Beijing Olympics! This team was flying under the radar, keeping a very low profile while the women were struggling under close scrutiny in Imperia a few weeks ago. The men have now done what they never managed before, Olympic qualification through head to head games with the best in the world.

This is so important for many reasons but chief among them is the fact that the team is primarily amateur athletes competing against European pros. That is such a key thing to remember, the sacrifices these guys have made, and there is no doubt that our having had some guys play pro in other countries the past few years was a big part of the success. The other big piece of the puzzle was a coach on deck with a European pedigree who had the respect of the world as a player. Do not underestimate that bit of social reality in that patriarchal part of the world.

Congratulations to Dragan and his staff for taking them the final step to Olympic credibility. And, let me be the first to thank the coaches that contributed to delivering the quality players to Dragan for his finishing touches - Michel Roy, John Csikos, Wing Wong, Mike Morton, Quinn Fairley, Andras Szeri, Scott Smith. There are others but I am not sure of their role so won't try to name everyone.