Richmond badminton player Christin Tsai and her coach Darryl Yung are among the nation-wide recpients of Suncor Energy/Petro Canada 2013 Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence (FACE) awards.
The recognized athletes and their coaches represent a balance of summer, winter and team sports with selected athletes coming from six provinces across Canada.
Working together with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and their National Sport partners, the FACE program provides developing, pre-carded Canadian athlete and coach pairings with $8,000 in grants. The FACE program has provided more than 2,400 Canadian athletes and coaches with over $8 million in direct financial support. These resources help athletes achieve national carded status and coaches improve their skills over the long term.
"We would like to congratulate each of the 2013 FACE recipients," said Steven Keith, Director, Loyalty and Marketing Partnerships, Suncor Energy. "For the past 25 years, we have been fortunate to support athletes and coaches by providing funding so they can focus on achieving their dreams."
"It's a good day for sport, anytime our partners can dedicate resources that go directly to Canadian athletes and coaches," said Marcel Aubut, president, COC. "The COC is proud of our relationship with Petro-Canada, an organization that has contributed to our budding athletes for 25 years. There is no doubt that the sport movement is transforming and gaining momentum in Canada, and they have been at the forefront of that much needed change."
Coaches who receive grants often use the funding to build their skills or purchase equipment that can be used to benefit multiple athletes within the same sport discipline.
In the past, the FACE program has provided financial grants to Canada's top athletes such as Hayley Wickenheiser and Kristina Groves.
