Sports
Longtime city parks co-ordinator Sammy Morizawa was honoured.
Photo submitted
Richmond Sports Awards recognizes excellence
He’s long been one of the city’s MVPs. But
Sammy Morizawa would rather just go about his business than take time out to be
recognized.
However last Thursday (April 26) at the
annual Richmond Sports Awards, held at R.A. McMath Secondary School, a standing
ovation reaffirmed just how highly thought of, and appreciated, by the sports
community the longtime city parks co-ordinator is.
“What can you say about him? He’s an unsung
hero. He’s got people smarts and is a pleasure to work with,” says Richmond
Sports Council chair Jim Lamond, who presented the Sports Council Award of
Distinction to the modest Morizawa.
Arjan Bhullar, who won gold as a wrestler for
Canada at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and is now competing as a mixed martial
artist in the UFC, was named the Richmond News Sportsperson of the Year.
Longtime Richmond educator Mike Charlton
received the Don Fennell Award of Distinction for his many years of
contributing to school sports. Early in his teaching career, Charlton
encouraged students at H.J. Cambie Secondary School to become involved in track
and field, and later focused his attention on advancing the sport of badminton.
More recently, while a teacher and administrator at R.A. McMath, he guided the
school’s rugby team. In each sport, Charlton’s teams enjoyed considerable
success.
Others recognized at the annual Richmond
Sports Awards were: Reid Scally (Special Olympics); longtime coach Jim Brady,
administrator Matt Mercer, official Prem Gundarah, U18 United Metro team and
Old Blacks masters team (soccer); high school sports athletes Dakota Chan
(multiple sports) and Carson Bradley (track and field); thrower Camryn Rogers,
coach Garrett Collier and administrator Karen Fisher Hagel (Kajaks track and
field); athletes Cameron Lewis, and Brayden Carpenter, coach Raul Verde Rios
and official Ethan Wong (Richmond City Baseball); athlete Nancy Yijia Liu and
coach Kara Kalin Zader (swimming); athlete Alisha Lau (golf); Ian Ryder (judo);
Bill Wong (tennis); Nam Nguyen (Rockets speed skating); Commanders and Generals
(Panther Cheer); Ryan Reid (bowling); coach Keegan Murphy (Connaught Skating
Club); and coach/administrator Rob Parmar and the provincial champion Bantam
team (Richmond Raiders football).
Part of the proceeds from the annual Richmond
Sports Awards dinner, which is hosted in part by the leadership class at
McMath, goes to KidSport Richmond which was established in 2008 to provide
grant to in-need Richmond families so their children can participate in sport.
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