CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Condors place third at national outdoor cricket championships

The Conestoga Condors men's cricket team placed third at the Canadian College and University Cricket (CCUC) national championships that took place in King City, Ontario, last month.

The Condors completed the tournament with a record of four wins and one loss, winning the first three games against Humber College, York University and University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) respectively, before losing the semi-final match to Algonquin College. The Condors bounced back to take the third-place match against Brock University. 

The tournament was memorable for the players and coaches, with several close matches and many key moments.

"It was really exciting to upset the Humber Hawks, and winning on the second last ball of the game made it even more exciting," said Rory Cooper, supervisor, Recreation & Health.

"Being a student-athlete and captain in such a prestigious tournament was a privilege and a break from the academic routine. The competition was fierce, but our commitment and teamwork helped us secure a podium finish," said team captain Piyush Bhardwaj, a student in the Strategic Global Business Management program.

"I'm proud of our bowlers' efforts, including my six wickets with a best of 3/16, which restricted opponents at key moments. We also received standout contributions from our batsmen and Akhim Raphael leading from the front with a stellar 98-run total."

Raphael, a Strategic Marketing Communications student, was named Conestoga's player of the match in the contests against Humber and UTM.

"Special thanks to our coach Ankur Jhaveri, and Rory Cooper for guiding us and providing solid college backing throughout the outdoor cricket season including the CCUC national championships. Securing third place has inspired us to aim even higher in future tournaments," added Bhardwaj.

Coach Ankur Jhaveri expanded on theme of inspiration, and spoke of how the experience of participating at an elite level has provided many important lessons.

"Playing at good grounds and against competitive teams gives our student-athletes the ideal opportunity to grow. The CCUC national tournament has been successful in creating that environment and we are hoping to see more such tournaments organized in the region," said Jhaveri.

"The tournament format challenges the students physically and mentally. It teaches the students the importance of managing workload and teamwork to be successful in pressure situations. Despite participating for the first time, the Condors were one of the strong contenders. We finished third and walked away with many highlights and notes on how we can come back and improve our performance." 

The CCUC invited the Condors to play in the ten-team national championship tournament based on the strength of their regular season in the Ontario Collegiate Recreation (OCR) league, which involved hosting teams throughout the summer at Waterloo Park while traveling to play other colleges and universities throughout the province. The Condors also participated in two tournaments and played in one exhibition match organized by the CCUC at Cedarvale Park in Toronto against Columbia University from New York City. 

Cricket is a growing sport at Conestoga, with an indoor adaptation introduced to students by Athletics & Recreation as an intramural activity pre-pandemic to gauge interest. As popularity grew, it became easier to offer the more traditional and mainstream outdoor version.

"We accommodate all skill and competition levels in our cricket programs at Conestoga, from intramural drop-in, development, and Women's Learn to Play to the Condors men's extramural team, which is selected based on a tryout process and competes in both outdoor and indoor OCR leagues. Our next initiative is to launch a women's cricket team to compete in the OCR and against local university teams," added Cooper.  

Cooper is among a group at the college who champion Condors cricket teams and programs, and also support the sport's development at the collegiate level by contributing to the OCR and the CCUC.

"Cricket has grown to become a crucial part of student life and athletics at Conestoga," said Andrew Bates, director, Sport & Recreation.

"Cricket attracts passionate and talented athletes who have worked hard to contribute to the sport's growth on our campuses, helping many of our international students adjust by allowing them to play a sport they love while making lasting friendships. It's so great to see these dedicated student-athletes rewarded with a national bronze medal."

The men's extramural indoor season began October 22 with the Condors going undefeated over four matches to win a tournament at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. On November 7, the Condors will host seven schools at their first home OCR tournament of the year. 

Conestoga's Athletics & Recreation department offers programming and facilities designed to engage students and enhance their health and wellness through varsity and extramural athletics, intramural sports and fitness classes. The Student Recreation Centre at the Kitchener - Doon campus provides a full range of recreation and athletic services.