Some Calgary athletes are gearing up for a big event that’s a first for the city, and they’re ready to include all kinds of players as they get into action.
Members of the Calgary Bike Polo Club are hosting the Canadian Bike Polo Tournament this weekend.
“It’s a fringe sport, but we all love it so much,” said player Alex Dakers.
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Bicycle polo is played on bicycles instead of the more traditional version on horseback.
“We have teams from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver,” said player Tenzin Blair.
The tournament will also include special international guests.
“People coming from Paris play with a team from Calgary, people coming from Saskatoon play with a person from Seattle,” Blair said.
The winners have a chance to go to next year’s world championship in France.
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“It’s kind of the dream,” Blair said.
And no matter how far it takes them, players always keep one thing in mind.
“The number one rule of bike polo is just to be a nice person,” Blair said.
A player credits the feeling of getting better at getting the ball in the net as part of the appeal of the sport.
“I love that it can be competitive, but it can also be super fun. There are a lot of relaxing tournaments you can join,” player Jess Arndt said. “The first tournament I played in was a WTF tournament, which is female, trans and female – a tournament for women or non-binary people. Super inclusive.
The Calgary tournament takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28 at the outdoor rink next to Inglewood Community Association Hall in southeast Calgary.
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