48 — Wednesday. May 12, 1999 — North Shore News Connell stil Bob Mackin News Reporter GRANT Connell won tennis tournaments around the world and more than $2.8 mil- lion in prize money. But one of the sweet- est awards was his April induction to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. He wishes the pride and joy of receiving such an award was shared by soother Canadians for the game of tennis. “There needs to be more energy and peopte working together, amongst the coach- es, players and the provinces, for us to get some sort af sys- rem out there or at least a sense of pride in Canadian tennis again,” says the 33- year-old Regina native who grew up in North Vancouver. Eighteen months after retiring, Connell hopes to turn around the fortunes of the sport, beginning on the West Coast. He’s heiping to spearhead a bid tw put Vancouver on the WTA women's pre tour. A summer- time slot on the 2000 or 2001 schedule is within reach, he says. A spet on the men's tour isn’t because of the high cost of purses and the lack of a marketable superstar to draw the crowds needed to pay the bills. An annual pro tourna- ment, regardless of gender, can only benefit the game. Connell fell in love with tennis at the North Shore Winter Club when he was 14 and went on to win the Canadian under-18 singles title. But he had to leave the country to pursue his passion Collingwood (AA) West Vancouver (AAA) Sentinel (AAA) Argyle (AAA) Seycove (AA) north shore news PORTS ing NEWS tlie photo GRANT Connell's only pro tournament appearance on the North Shore was a frustrating Davis Cup loss to Austria in 1992. Three years later, he won the world doubles championship with American sidekick Pat Galbraith. for the bouncing yellow ball. After playing for Texas A&M university, Connell spent 12 years as 2 pro, win- ning tournaments in Dubai, Rome, Seoul and Singapore. But he only played in Vancouver three times as a member of Canada’s Davis Cup squad. Even then, results were mixed. Local fans saw Connell experience the agony of defeat more often than the thrill of victory. Still, it was by no means Senior Girls’ Rugby Carson Graham West Vancouver Kitsilano Sutherland Elphinstone New Westminster Killamey Cambie OoO+-N OA SON “Oe WWW ~ Oo Senior Boys’ & Girls Tennis Sentinel (AAA) Handsworth (AAA) Windsor (AAA) West Vancouver (AAA) Argyle (AAA) Collingwood (AA) 5 The News welcomes scores, standings and schedules from your team or league. Send detailed information promptly to Sob Mackin, sports reporter, via fax (985-2104) or e-mail (robert @nsnews.com). a dull time to be a tennis fan. Connell took centre stage in 1992 at the Agrodome tor Canada’s debut in the elite 16-team world group. Sweden dashed Canada’s chance to play in the quarter-finals. Six months later Austria bounced Connell and Canada from the world group. For Connell, that weekend in September 1992 at West Vancouver's Hollyburn Country Club marked the nadir of a mid-career crisis. The dip began more than a year carlier when he lost 3 five-set heartbreaker at Wimbledon against flamboy- ant American Andre Agassi. That match took three days to complete because of incessant rain. Connell was the 67th best mate player in the world. It wouldn’t get any better from a singles standpoint. “E really felt that was iny opportunity to spring into top-50 in. singles, that was always one of my goals,“ Connell says. “But I lost that one after having been up two sets to one and ahead in the fourth set. That one really sticks with me.” Connell says the temporary grass surface at Hollyburn, as chosen by the Canadian team, was a mistake that cost Canada more than its spot in the world group. “WT could go back ia my career and srase any time, it would be chat Davis Cup match. f mean, Hollyburn was ian tennis beautiful, but the grass courts were put down all wrong and it was just basically: symbatic of the end of our Davis Cup squad there, We just went dow niill tram there on.” When Connell’s five-year doubles partnership with Glenn Michibata ended, he joined with — Washington state’s Pat Galbraith, 2 move that reignited his career, With Galbraith in| 1993. Conneli achieved a pair of Canadian firsts: a number-one ranking anda trip ta the deubles tinal at Wimbledon. The pair chal- lenged for the Wimbledon crown twice more, but instead settled for the 1995) world championship. That triumph — carned Connell an automatic spor in the hall of fame for Canadian tennis. When it came time to hang up his racquet in 1997, Connell had won 22 doubies championships. He left the competitive court on his own terms. “ft had J2 vears on the tour and over 40 weeks a year on the road. I quit when J had a ranking I could still continue for lots of years and be pro- ductive, but i just felt it was the proper time. I didn’t have it in me to train as hard or compete at that level. It’s a lot easier to do that than be forced out by injury.” Connell stays active in the game with Tennis Canada as an organizer of annual pro tour stops in Terento and Montreal. He — volunteers locally at the North Shore Winter Club and Jericho Tennis Club, helping coach teenage tennis players. “it’s a nice challenge and a nice transition, being out of the game where I can still maintain some friendships and not have to travel the 40 weeks.” Pacific Games remain poor cousins THIRD time lucky? It ain't necessarily so. If you need confirmation, just talk to longtime North Shore resident Bill Winners. There will be no Pacific Games in Vancouver in 200). A longtime sports junkie — he was the Canucks’ chief’ financial officer in their fledg- fing years and also a B.C. Lions director — Winnett was the head * oncho in the suc- cessful bid to Jand these tegional games for the lower mainland. So much for success. involving all the countzies on the Pacific Rim — principally Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Western shores of Central and South America, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and Russia — the first Pacitic Games staggered to a limited start at Cali, Colombia, in 1995. The second edition was to be held later this year in Santiago, Chile. But after the government built a sports complex that the amateur sports community hereabouts would die for the Chilean economy went into the dump- ster. Government and private sector taps were turned off and there was no money to stage the event. Cancelled? That's right. Hardly encouraging for Winnett and company, who had already won the projected third Games for Vancouver, just in time to sec the Asian boom go bust. As one conse- quence, things haven’r been so hot around here, cither. While private money was scheduled to pay two-thirds of the pro- jected $148-million cost, a substantial amount of taxpayer lolly also would have been iweded. Given all the problems and priorities in Ortawa and Victoria, the silence from those fWwo revenue sources was deafening. Then came the firm news that Toronto would be bidding for rhe 2008 Summer Oisinpies and Vancouver- Whistler for the 2010 Winter Olympics. And that’s how the ald adage, third time lucky, suddenly became obsolete. The world is up to its hips these days in all manner of Games, Take a trip through the Internet and you'll find them by the dozen. Truly a glut. And Canada has its share. Going into the millennium, there will be the Pan-American Games in Winnipeg this sum- mer; and, in 2001, the Francophone Games in Quebee City. Projected for $135-million, the Pan-Ams likely will cost twice that. And will be further distinguished by the fact this could be their swan song. The Americas, and especially the U.S., have never been less interested, They and the cea- tury could go out hand in hand. As tor the Francophone Games — bringing together the world’s French-speaking nations, most of them African — they gor to the federal trough betore Winnett and the boys. It was, perhaps, unrealistic on their part to think they could get could get dollars from Oreawa to stage a cam: peting Games in the same summer. Especially with Quebec utterly teed off at this part of che country after losing out to Vancouver-Whistler tor the right to bid on the 2010 Winter Olympics. Indeed, it's probably unreasonable for many of these second level Games to believe they can continue to exist. Ted Turner’s Goodwill Games were meant to create an athletic thaw in the U.S.- USSR Cold War. By the time they were first staged in 1990 the Cold War was over. Oaly Turner’s immense personal wealth kept them alive tor pvo more outings. The Commonwealth Games — their next renewal in-England in 2002 — are in rapid decline. Too few world class athletes five in the Commonwealth countries. In the U.K they are regarded as little more than a consolation prize atter Birmingham and, later, Manchester struck our in their Olympic bids. Professional sport every- where is proving that if your product doesn’t carry a major league label, it can’t attract crowds and TV coverage. The same virus intects the various second tier Games. Despite all the corruption revelations, the Olympics remain mites ahead See Games page 50