For fans of the Olympics, Rio 2016 seems far away, but the time will fly.
The same holds true for Estevan 2016. With the closing of the 2014 Winter Games in Prince Albert on Saturday, Estevan now carries the torch as the next Saskatchewan Games host.
Two and a half years may seem like a long time, but before we know it the city will be swarmed with athletes from all over the province.
The announcement of a legacy funding program for Games hosts last week was big for Estevan's host committee. Every dollar they raise through sponsorship and other initiatives, up to $250,000, will be matched by the Saskatchewan Games Council.
Estevan's budget is larger than that of most Games, due to the need to build a new track and field facility, so the matching program will be a big help.
Kudos to the local athletes at the Prince Albert Games for being an inspiration to those who will compete on home soil in 2016.
Although they did it in sports that won't be featured at the Summer Games, the roughly 20 local athletes who won medals individually or as part of a team have shown those to come that it can be done, and all the work was worth it.
The Saskatchewan Games movement is about developing sport at the grassroots level. Look no further than the four athletes who went to the 2012 Summer Games and impressed upon the 2016 selection committee how valuable their experience was. That played a role in Estevan receiving the Games.
The local athletes who competed in Prince Albert have laid down a trail for the next group to follow.
To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours, Estevan, to hold it high.
Contact Josh Lewis at 306-634-2654 or sports@estevanmercury.ca. Seriously though, Rio can't get here soon enough.
