It was the first time that event took place in Laval.

Three matches per day were scheduled between the teams of Stephen F. Austin, Quinnipiac, Montana State, UNCG, MTSU, and Hofstra.

“We know Montreal and Laval are basketball fans,” said Emilio Zaga Mendez, brand manager at Evenko. “We hope it becomes a recurring event every year.”

MTSU Stands Out

All six teams played three matches during the weekend.

MTSU was the only perfect team, winning its three matches. It first defeated Hofstra by a score of 64-54, then registered a convincing 75-63 victory over Stephen F. Austin the next day. The team concluded its weekend by winning a close 72-71 battle against Montana State.

Quinnipac and Hofstra finished the weekend with two wins and one loss. Hofstra also signed a 72-70 win in the game between the two teams, despite a late comeback from Quinnipac. It was also the last game of the event.

The other three universities competing, UNCG (1-2), Stephen F. Austin (1-2) and Montana State (0-3), all when back home with negative records.

Those were sanctioned games by the NCAA. They will thus influence the qualification of each of those teams for the post-season tournament.

translated by Alec Brideau

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Most of the medalists were participants of the 55^e Finale des Jeux du Québec – Laval 2022 (Quebec Games). That evening also made it possible to recognize the dedication of all organizers of the event.

“They’ve worked for more than three years to brilliantly welcome sports delegations from all regions of the province, and promote our municipality,” said member of the executive committee and responsible for leisure and sports files at the City of Laval, Nicholas Borne, by press release.

Members of the board of directors and organizing committee of the provincial competition received a personalized gift during this evening.

For their part, the young athletes of the 22 sports disciplines of the Quebec Games were honoured. Nine gold medals (international level) were awarded, followed by 15 silver (national level) and 82 bronze (provincial level).

Pierre-Marchand Prize

The Pierre-Marchand prize was awarded to triathlete Émile Pichette.

Pichette tried triathlon for the first time in 2021 to keep in shape for the alpine ski season, despite the pandemic. During that first summer, he participated in two triathlons, without obtaining performances comparable to those he reached on the ski slopes.

“He remained motivated, and his perseverance finally allowed him to qualify for the Quebec Games in 2022, after having reached the standards of the three triathlon disciplines,” specified the City. “His evolution continued during those Games, when he obtained a better result than what he had achieved in the Laval triathlon.”

Pichette also participated in four competitions during the summer, finishing with a second place in his last triathlon, in Valleyfield.

Alexandre-Despatie Scholarship

The Alexandre-Despatie scholarship, aimed at rewarding a high-level athlete, whose commitment and performance are directly linked to the City of Laval’s Physical Activity Policy, was awarded to boxer Marie-Bathoul Al- Ahmadieh.

In addition to being a provincial champion, the Laval resident was selected to represent the national junior boxing team on several occasions.

In recent months, she has won a gold medal with Team Canada at the Brandenburg Box Cup, in Germany, in addition to being named Boxer of the Tournament.

Winner of the silver medal at the Golden Girl Boxing Championship, in Sweden, she also repeated the feat at the Bornemissza Memorial Tournament, presented in Hungary.

Still on the rise, Al-Ahmadieh currently ranks first in the Canadian rankings, in the Women Jr, 57 kg category. (N.P.)

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The Laval native is concluding is first full season on the ATP Tour with the best ranking of his career so far (204th), and some impressive matches to build on for 2023.

Galarneau made a statement in August, when he played his first main draw of the National Bank Open,  in Montreal, on Central Court.

The professional athlete retains a lot of positive from this season, having played the final of the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger as well. However, he said his match against Grigor Dimitrov, in Montreal, was extra special.

Playing the Davis Cup is unique. Unlike regular ATP Tour tournaments, players represent their country, and face other flags in a competition that sees one country raise the cup at the end. High-ranked players like Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov are therefore playing with Galarneau, in the same team.

That makes it ever more special, since Auger-Aliassime and Galarneau are long-time friends. Laval’s prodigy said it’s great to be able to share some time on the court with his friend, since normally, during the season, it’s more about texting and calling each other.

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Despatie’s career took off, in part, at the Jeux du Québec de Baie-Comeau, in 1993. Eight years old at the time, the two-time Olympic Games medalist had won gold in the diving event.

“It can be the start of something big for many young talents,” Despatie said. “It’s also about all the jokes we were making on the bus while going to our competitions. It marked me, and I’ll never forget that.”

Despatie said he never hesitated when we asked him if he wanted to be the spokesperson of the 55e Finale des Jeux du Québec, saying “yes” right away when the question was brought to him on the phone.

“It’s special for me to be able to be part, in a way, of the event, at home,” the former diver explained. “I want people to get in, since I know the impact it can have on the young athletes, the parents and the volunteers. I’ll want to give back to this event for the rest of my life.”

Take advantage of the site

Despatie reminds us the importance of enjoying every moment of the Jeux du Québec. Some of his personal favourite memories being between competitions, he advises athletes to take advantage of the facilities, the athletes’ village and other places prepared for the event.

“For me, it will be about the message I’ll share with them,” Despatie said. I want to enjoy those moments to meet them. I intend to go see what’s happening during competitions, and experience the energy that circulates around them.”

Many sports will obviously be played during the eight days of competition. Despatie says he’s excited to be able to see a bit of everything.

“I’m looking forward to see all the sports, even those I’m not really used to see,” he said. “I want to discover everything. We’ll build a schedule based on the competitions.”

L’article Alexandre Despatie: From Athlete to Spokesperson est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.