Steve Ewen - The
Province
Alfredo Valente knows how Domenic Mobilio would treat being part of the 2008 B.C. Sports Hall of Fame induction class.
"He would enjoy talking to those other athletes," Valente, a Vancouver Whitecaps stalwart, said of his god-father Mobilio, one of Canadian soccer's greatest goal scorers who passed away in 2004 after a heart attack.
"He was a fan of different sports. He would like to compare sports with them, to have those conversations."
There will undoubtedly be some interesting talk when the 11 individuals and one team are officially added to the hall at a banquet on May 29, 2008.
Besides Mobilio, other athletes being honoured are Danny Gare, a Nelson native who scored 379 goals in 13 NHL seasons; Helen Kelesi, a Vancouverite who got to No. 13 in the women's world tennis rankings; longtime Canadian national team rugby standout Gareth Rees of Victoria; and Victoria cyclist Alison Sydor, a three-time world mountain biking champion and Olympic silver medallist.
The team entry is the 2006-07 Kelly Scott curling rink, the defending world champions.
"I can tell you that Domo would be honoured to be a part of this," Valente said of the former 86er/Whitecap, who was 35 when he died.
"And it feels good that he hasn't been forgotten. He's done a lot for this city and the game of soccer and it's nice that people appreciate it."
Also hall-bound are softball's Glen Todd and figure skating's Ted Barton as builders; Helen and Margaret Callaghan, longtime baseball players who helped inspire the flick A League of Their Own, as pioneers; and former BCTV sports director Bernie Pascall in the media section.
Gordon Shrum is receiving the WAC Bennett Award for promoting athletics at both UBC and SFU.
steve.ewen@gmail.com
© The Vancouver Province 2007
