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Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans 'never lost confidence' as team battled for Grey Cup victory – CBC.ca

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Priti Shah had no doubt in her mind that her Winnipeg Blue Bombers would take home the Grey Cup Sunday night.

“I was nauseous,” Shah said in an interview at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton after the Blue Bombers beat the Tiger-Cats 33-25 in a thrilling overtime win.

Shah has been a Bomber fan for decades, ever since her dad took her to a game and taught her the game. The team feels like family, she says.

Shah witnessed Winnipeg history Sunday as the Bombers won their second straight Grey Cup for the first time in nearly 60 years. The team hasn’t won back-to-back Grey Cups since the 1961-62 season.

“But I never lost confidence. Never.”

Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans flooded Portage Avenue and Main Street on Sunday night after the team won the Grey Cup. (Marouane Refak/CBC)

The team’s win was a testament to their quality after going a league-best 11-3 in the shortened regular season. 

Blue Bomber defensive end Willie Jefferson said the team felt like they could hear the fans in Winnipeg.

“We heard all the cheers back in Manitoba,” Jefferson said after the game. “This is for y’all. If you don’t like Winnipeg, eat your heart out.”

“It’s resilience, it’s camaraderie, it’s a family. It’s Winnipeg,” he said.

This is the third time in franchise history the team has won two titles in a row. This historic moment means a lot to Winnipeg long snapper Mike Benson.

“This is my dream,” said Benson, who was born in Winnipeg and attended St. Paul’s High School.

WATCH | Players and fans celebrate in Hamilton after the Bombers win: 

‘Happiest day of my life’: Fans, players celebrate Bombers Grey Cup win

7 hours ago

Duration 1:36

Blue Bombers players and fans celebrated the second-in-a-row Grey Cup win in Hamilton on Sunday 1:36

His mom, fiancée and eight-month-old son, Wilder, all came to Hamilton to watch the game. Wilder slept through the post-game celebrations.

“This was his first flight, his first Grey Cup — he’s not even a year old. He never missed a home game,” Benson said.

After the game, Hamilton fans quickly filed out of Tim Hortons Field, but hundreds of Blue Bomber fans stuck around to soak in the feeling.

“I’m still in shock,” said Trevor Finch, who’s been a season ticket holder for 27 years. He credits his late father for turning him into a Bomber fan. The last game they watched together before he died was the 1990 Grey Cup match up between Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Priti Shah was at the Grey Cup game in Hamilton, Ont. on Sunday and witnessed her team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, win. (Sam Samson/CBC)

“My dad is the reason I’m a fan,” said Finch.

“He would have been right there beside me, laughing and cheering, but probably also feeling bad for the Hamilton fans. But they’ll get their chance.”

The Bombers will head back to Winnipeg with the cup. Public celebrations have yet to be formally announced, but players are hoping for a parade through downtown.

Winnipeg Blue Bomber long snapper Mike Benson celebrated his team’s Grey Cup win on Sunday with his mom, fiancee and eight-month old son Wilder. (Sam Samson/CBC)

Head Coach Mike O’Shea, who is now 6-0 for Grey Cup games in his CFL career, said he’s looking forward to watching his team celebrate back in Winnipeg with the fans.

“I know it’s tougher this year with COVID, but it’s gotta be a nice relief for the fans,” said O’Shea after the game.

“It’s been a tough couple years and I know we still have challenges ahead of us, but I’m hoping we can provide some happiness and joy for the province.”

Hometown support at home

Back home in Winnipeg, hundreds of fans of all ages gathered downtown at Portage Avenue and Main Street to celebrate the win.

Eleven-year-old Connor Weight was there blowing a large blue horn to show his enthusiasm.

“It’s pretty important because the Bombers just did a Grey Cup repeat and it’s amazing,” Connor said.

Don Seaton has two tattoos to celebrate the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and is planning to get another to mark their back-to-back Grey Cup wins. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

Long-time Bomber fan Don Seaton said he has two tattoos — one on each hand — of his favourite team, but he’s planning on getting another to mark the latest Grey Cup win after he finishes celebrating with others in blue.

“Best way to win, best way to end a 29-year drought — two cups in a row!”

WATCH | Blue Bombers fans celebrate at home in Winnipeg 

‘Everyone’s ecstatic’ about Bombers’ Grey Cup win

7 hours ago

Duration 2:21

Hundreds of Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans gathered downtown to celebrate the team’s Grey Cup win on Sunday 2:21

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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