BALMORAL’S junior and bantam rugby teams and girls’ field hockey team had winning seasons this year. The rngby
teams won both the North Shore and Vancouver and District Champienships while the field hockey team won the North

Shore Championship.

V boxing great
finds eternal fame

A LONG and prestigious string of credentials is hit-
ched to the boxing career of Elio John Tus, but the
grand finale came last month when lus was inducted
into the Canadian Boxing Hall ef Fame in Hamilton,
Ontario.

by ELIZABETH COLLINGS
News Reporter

“1 didn’t tell anyone. | kept it to myself quite a bit.
It was a great honor,"’ said the 64-year-old former
boxer.

Born and raised in North Vancouver, Ius had his
first boxing bout in 1931 when he was six years ald.

“y wanted to be a musician, but when f was five or
six years old I got a set of boxing gloves and that's
how | started.’’

From there Jus went on to fight in North Shore
“smokers,” (beer parlors) including the old Olympic
Hotel, then called The Palace.

“We would box in there and the people would just
form a ciscle. Vhere was no ring or anything,"’ lus
said.

In 19.42, lus was the Alberta Middle Weight Cham-
pion before his career was interrupted by the war,

When he returned, he picked up boxing again,
winning three provincial titles and boxing profes-
sionally in New York for a stint.

Since he retired from boxing in the early 50s, Tus”
name has become synonymous with coaching.

Close to his heart is the North West Eagles Boxing
Club which he founded in 1961. Based on 4th Street in
the ‘‘old KP hall,’ lus trained 60 boxers at ony time
when the club was at its peak.

Among the Eagles’ notable boxers was Les
Hamiiton and Jus’ nephew, Chris Ius, who comy 2ted
in the Munich Olympics.

After coaching provincial and national teams, lus
quit coaching in the early 1980s but says he misses the
sport.

“f do get the itch when I see a good kid around. It's
a lot of hard work. You have to be really dedicated. |
was in the gym every night. You’ve got to eat it,
breath it, live it."* Ius said.

He laments the decline of boxing clubs on the North
Shore and says young, experienced boxers are needed
fo rejuvenate the sport.

His parting words to coaches: ‘*Treat them as your
own, Don't push anyone into the bout unless they
need it. Be sure they're a winner and won't get hurt.”

FORMER BOXER, coach und North Vancouver native Elio fus was inducted into the bait

of Fame tast month for bis contribution fo boxing.

Meer ew eee
ae DAW ty

13 - Wednesday, November 22. 3989 - North Shore News

take
drugs
PAGE 17

Handsworth
to play in
f‘ball finals

THE HANDSWORTH Royals are
hoping that football history runs in
{0-year cycles when they play Co-
quitlam’s Terry Fox in the B.C.
Single ‘A’ Football Final this
Saturday at B.C. Place.

The last time the Royals got into
and won the final was in 1979-80.

Even though the Royals are
“‘underdogs’* going into the final,
coach Jack Yasaka says the team
has improved since they teceived a
30-6 thumping by Coquitlam’'s
Terry Fox in the second week of
league play this year.

Win or Jose, the season has been
a good one for Handsworth with
two of its players nominated to the
1989 Provincial All-Star Football
Team.

Receiver fan Cook and defensive
tackle Moojan Azizi were named
to the 3l-player All-Star Team
which was selected from 124
players in the four conferences.

Other All-Star North Shore
players named include defensive
backs Mare Hutchinson from
Windsor and Anthony Findlay
from the West Vancouver
Highlanders Double ‘AA’ team.

Leading the province as the
Outstanding Defensive Player is
West Vancouver's 6°2’", 210-
pound linebacker Paul Zuccato.

The final will be played at 4:30
p.m., Nov. 25 in B.C. Place.

“ALD fans
HALL of Fl

si #1 .
o PLYD SUS Seay Grace”
fins foen diy (Nester yeompted é off scually
Sidated od &. Dona fide-

MYER

ot thie

CATAL BONEIO WALL of BTV

FOS TE RIC ORAS MMAATLE NT € SPORES INE COTTON CHE
Spore OF CHAMpANNS

Le tant ae wo pefsioenc~

NEWS ptioto Cindy Goodman