Richmond is well-represented at this week’s Optimist B.C. U18 Curling Championships in Salmon Arm.
Team Kwok and Team Tao are battling other six rinks from across the province. The winner advancing to the nationals in New Brunswick.
Team Kwok features skip Gabriel Kwok, third David Hingell, second Brandon Tong, lead David Price and fifth Connor Kent. The boys are coached by Peter Kwok.
Gabriel and Brandon have been friends since kindergarten and began curling when they were in Grade 3. They are now in their Grade 11 year at Boyd and McMath respectively.
Team Tao features skip Johnson Tao, third Connor Deane, second David Loken, lead Michael Nunn, fifth Jay Hou, and coaches Paul Hazell and Cody Tanaka.
Johnson and Michael are Richmond residents who are in Grade 10 at Burnett and McMath respectively.
The other members of these two junior rinks live in Delta, Surrey, and Coquitlam.
In December, Team Tao competed in the Boston Pizza B.C. Junior Men’s Curling Championship, which was a U21 event. As well, a completely Richmond version of Team Tao (Johnson Tao, Michael Nunn, Noah Argao and Jack Bradley) won silver at last month’s B.C. Winter Games in Kamloops.
Both Teams Kwok and Tao participated in Division 1 of the Optimist Junior Interclub Curling League this past season, as did two other teams that also qualified for U18 provincials.
Optimist International is the title sponsor of the B.C. U18 Curling Championship and their support for young competitive curlers is very much appreciated in the local curling community. These up-and-coming athletes have also received support from Curl BC, their curling clubs, their coaches and parents.
