Joy Drop: Big week for Canadian women’s soccer

June 30, 2023

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Friends, the long weekend is here and although there are some very real reasons to be frustrated I am going to use this space to offer joy, joy and more joy.

First of all, something that brought me immeasurable happiness was celebrating Eid ul Adha with my family. I adore moments of family togetherness and particularly love seeing the little ones enjoy the day and learn family traditions.

Here’s my fave photo from Eid of my two and a half year old nieces Ayral and Ayzal in their beautiful yellow ghararas. Ghararas are a traditional dress from South Asia.

A Gharara ( Urdu :غرارہ) is a traditional Lakhnavi Outfit worn by <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Muslim?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Muslim</a> women of the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/kurti?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#kurti</a> (a short, mid-thigh length tunic) a <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/dupatta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#dupatta</a> ,and most importantly, a pair of wide-legged pants,ruched at the knee so they flare out dramatically. <a href=”https://t.co/SYN3RAuAPR”>pic.twitter.com/SYN3RAuAPR</a>
—@IndoIslamicPage

They’re precious and I have a lot of fun spoiling them. I enjoy seeing them in their traditional clothes even when they are playing soccer or tumbling around.

Two young girls in yellow dresses sit down smiling at the camera. — Ayral and Ayzal are pictured wearing yellow ghararas, celebrating Eid ul Adha. (Photo provided by Shireen Ahmed)

In more soccer joy, it was announced that Cloe Lacasse has been signed to Arsenal FC. She joins Canadian goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo at the Gunners. It’s awesome to see Canadian players at the top clubs in the world.

And Ashley Lawrence will join Jessie Fleming and Kadeisha Buchanan at Chelsea FC.

And while we love Canadians playing in elite leagues, it’s fantastic to see them having fun together at camp in Australia. The team is on the Gold Coast already training.

In another example of amazing sportsmanship, Jolien Boumkwo (a shot putter) ran the 100m hurdles for her team. Had she not done so, Team Belgium would have been eliminated from the European Championships. Boumkwo came in last but her perseverance and team spirit are incredible. It was great to see a fellow competitor high-five her after the race.

Team spirit 👏❤️ Without any runners in the 100m hurdles due to injury, Belgium faced disqualification at the European Championships… That’s when shot putter and hammer thrower Jolien Boumkwo stepped up 🙌 (🎥: <a href=”https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EuroAthletics</a>)<a href=”https://t.co/3zYA68f2mL”>pic.twitter.com/3zYA68f2mL</a>
—@CBCOlympics

I also want to offer this tremendous win by Canada’s women’s volleyball team over Brazil. Canada beat the Olympic silver medallists for the first time in FIVB competition. It was a fantastic game. Head coach Shannon Winzer is the sole woman coach in the volleyball nations league. We love to see it!

At CBC Sports we are working hard to bring you excellent sports coverage, and this clip from Soccer North (hosted by the amazing Andi Petrillo) is a lot of fun. I am so excited to be bringing you coverage on the ground from Australia. It is something that is bringing me a LOT of joy and excitement.

I’m so proud to be working at CBC Sports and want to highlight one particular person: Anastasia Bucsis. She’s a broadcaster, presenter and host of Player’s Own Voice podcast. She’s someone I respect immensely and her contributions to Canadian sport are immeasurable.

It’s been a tough week for many so I will remind everyone of a simple yet profound statement: All You Need Is Love.