Dozens of former and current Delview Secondary basketball players did battle on the hardwood last week as part of the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Vladimir Nikić , a teacher and basketball coach at Delview and one of the organizers of the inaugural four-on-four tournament held on Wednesday, March 6, said the school wanted to start “something special” to celebrate its history and traditions.
“We believe that tradition is very important for a community and it’s important to build a legacy for these kids, and kind of a connectedness to the school,” Nikić told the Reporter.
He added that some people consider the school to be in a “low socio-economic neighbourhood,” but that shouldn’t be a barrier to students achieving success, including becoming lawyers, doctors and business owners like some of the returning players.
“We want the alumni to come back and show the kids how successful they can be. It’s a great thing for kids to look up to someone that successful [who] grew up in this neighbourhood.”
Mankaran Dhanda returned to the school as a basketball coach after graduating in 2011 and sees past and current Delview students as part of one big family.
“We’re all connected because we played here,” Dhanda said. “Every one of [these players] I have either coached or I’ve played with them.”
The tournament’s winning team was comprised of six former Raiders, including Wowie Untalan, whom Nikić called “the greatest senior boys player of all time that came out of Delview.” Joining Untalan were Jacob O’Donnell (one of only five players in Delview’s history to have played at the senior level for three years), his former teammates Shaun Richardson and Walden Ash, as well as Gurjeevan Sidhu and Lucian Bayer.
Nikić added the event will be an annual event and joked the top prize is a year’s worth of bragging rights.
SEE ALSO: VIDEO: North Delta’s Delview Secondary celebrates 50 years
sasha.lakic@northdeltareporter.com
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