Canada Games: NWT’s Brent Betsina captures silver in judo

Team NWT has its first medal of the 2015 Canada Winter Games.

Yellowknife’s Brent Betsina has won silver in the boys’ individual over-100kg judo.

He was defeated by Quebec’s Kevin Gauthier in the final on Thursday evening in Prince George.

“It feels awesome,” Betsina told Moose FM. “I didn’t even care if I won gold, silver or bronze. I just wanted to fight because this was my last time doing competition. I’m retiring from judo.

“I just wanted to go out on a big boom and I did.”

Read: NWT Speed Skaters Fourth In Canada Games Relay Final

Betsina, who stands 5ft 8in tall and weighs 250 pounds, beat competitors from Newfoundland and Manitoba to secure a spot in the final bout.

The 18-year-old was the only athlete to represent the NWT in judo.

“A lot of hours, a lot of sweat and broken bones went into this. Even a couple days ago my jaw popped out and I had to pop it back in and I still competed even though I had a popped-out jaw.

“It still hurts but as my sensei says ‘no pain no gain’ so I used that to help me.”

The territory hadn’t won a medal since Brendan Green won gold in cross-country skiing during the 2007 Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse.

View: Medal Standings

Mike Gibbins
Mike Gibbins
Hello and thank you for listening to 100.1 Moose FM! To contact me, you can email me, find me on Twitter or call (867) 920-4663.

Continue Reading

You may also like



cjcd Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Red Dress March to be held next week

Yellowknife’s annual Red Dress March will be taking place next week on May 5 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

Yellowknife Community Foundation to deliver its biggest batch of scholarships

The Yellowknife Community Foundation has cracked the door wide open on its student awards scholarships fund. The foundation says its scholarship fund is delivering 45 scholarships, its greatest number of scholarships to date, to support students in trade professions and academics across the territory. N.W.T. students pursuing post-secondary studies or a trades education in any field are eligible for scholarships worth up to $9, 500, with a total of 45 scholarships are being offered.

N.W.T. holds among highest rates of workplace fatalities

N.W.T. holds among highest rates of workplace fatalities proportionate to worker populations. Researchers from the University of Regina said N.W.T. and Nunavut's worker mortality rate between 2019 to 2023 was highest in the country. The latest records show that for 2024, 11 people died due to a work related incident in the territories of the North. Scientists noted that because of N.W.T.’s small community populations, one or more early deaths had a much greater impact on mortality rates.

Timmy’s smile cookies return for sweet cause this spring

Tim Horton’s is bringing more smiles to new moms and babies in Yellowknife with proceeds of their smile cookie sales going to the Stanton Hospital Foundation’s Paediatric and Obstetric care. Patty Olexin-Lang, the foundation's executive director says campaigns like Tim Horton’s smile cookie week can go a long way to helping the hospital with their wish list of equipment. “We're super grateful for Tim Hortons and smile cookie week,” says Olexin-Lang.

GNWT releases draft of UNDRIP action plan

The territorial government is has released their initial draft for a United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Action Plan and are asking for public input. An announcement released today invited general members of the public to review and submit questions or comments on the initial draft of the plan.