London centre of ringette world in 2012
Submitted By
Deb Lewis on Thursday, December 01, 2011
Forest City to play host to under-19 world championship tournament
Ringette may be a lesser-known sport, but next year London will put it in the international spotlight.
Ringette Canada announced Friday that the Forest City will host the 2012 under-19 world championship tournament.
The event will also promote civic pride, showcase the sport and recognize the London Lynx ringette teams, Cheryl Finn of Tourism London said.
“It is a prestigious event . . . and it supports London as a sports community. When we bring a sport to the city, participant numbers increase.”
The championship for girls under age 19 will be the second such event in history and marks the 50th anniversary of the sport. Ringette, invented in North Bay in 1963, has been designated a heritage sport by Sport Canada.
There will be teams selected to represent Canada East and Canada West that will compete against as many as 12 international teams at Western Fair Sports Centre from Dec. 28, 2012 to Jan. 3 , 2013.
Finland White holds the world title after defeating Canada East at the 2009 championship in the Czech Republic.
About 30,000 people play ringette in Canada, about one-third of them in Ontario, said Kevin Knight, co-chair of the London bid committee.
With more than 400 participants in London, and roughly 300 more in the surrounding area, London is a good location for the tournament because it’s “centrally located for the sport,” he said.
While ringette may be a small sport, it’s “alive and well” in London, said Melinda Suchard, president of the London Ringette Association.
She said the sport was created just for girls, using a stick without a blade to shoot a ring into a goal, and the 2012 championship is important to the local teams.
“For the girls who play, to play on the world stage, it’s really big for them,” she said.
“The girls create friendships for life.”
