Whale Cove claims soccer crown

Published 7:55 am Friday, December 5, 2025 By Darrell Greer Northern News Services The little hamlet that roars claimed the U18 soccer territorial championship in Iqaluit on Nov. 23. Co-coach Molly Okalik said Whale Cove’s chances were very slim to get to Iqaluit, but they did not lose hope. The U18 girls started fundraising in June, and when they were close to the deadline to confirm the team was going, they found out they had received a generous donation from the Kivalliq Inuit Association and would be able to compete. She said the team also owes a debt of gratitude to JB Welding, Agnico Eagle Mines and Atuqtuarvik Corporation for their donations. “We beat Rankin Inlet in the finals by a score of 3-1,” said Okalik. “They communicated so well together. When Rankin Inlet tied it 1-1, the girls came right back with Cora Ford scoring from the centre line. “After beating Iqaluit in our last game, I knew we had a shot at winning. We tied our first game against Iqaluit and our girls felt discouraged, but, after talking to the team, their attitudes changed and they were able to get their game back on track. “We felt proud to bring home the gold medal because we are one of the smallest communities in the territory,” Okalik added. Whale Cove had five girls who should have been playing in the U16 category, with the youngest player being just 12 years old, and they performed amazingly throughout the tournament, according to Okalik. She said two Whale Cove U18 girls, two U16 girls and one alternate were selected to represent Team Nunavut at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games. “We’ll have Cora Ford and Danielle Panika in the U18 division, and Chelsey Panika, Emily Matoo and (alternate) Shantelle Panika in the U16 division. “We started practising for the territorials in August of 2025 and they had practices three times a week. “We are so proud of the girls. They still performed amazingly despite how nervous they felt about each game. Whale Cove is a small community but such a strong team.” Hᐊᒻᒪᓚᕋᓛᒥᖔᖅᑐ ᓂᐱᖅᑯᖅᑐᔪ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᓚᐅᖅᑐ U18 ᐊᕿᔭᖅᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕋᓲᑎᔪ ᐃᖃᓗᐃ ᓄᕕᐱᕆ 23. ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᐅᖃᑎᐊ ᒪᓕ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᖏ ᐱᕕᑭᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓅᕐᓗᑎᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᓴᐱᓕᓚᐅᖏᓚᑦ. U18 ᓂᕕᐊᖅᓵ ᑲᑎᑦᑏᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᒥ ᔫᓂᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖃᒡᓕᐅᔾᔨᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᓪᓗᖅ ᐅᒃᑯᐊᕐᕕᐊ ᖃᐅᔨᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᓚᐅᓂᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕ, ᖃᐅᔨᓕᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑐᓂᔭᐅᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᑲᔫᓯᐊᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᐃᑲᙵ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖏ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓵᓚᖃᕋᓱᒃᑐᓂ. ᐅᖃᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖃᕆᐊᖃᕋᒥ ᖁᔭᓕᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓄᖓ JB Welding, ᐊᓐᔨᑯ ᐃᑯ ᐅᔭᕋᖅᓯᐅᖅᑎ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑦᑐᕐᑐᐊᕕᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑐᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕆᓴ ᑐᓂᓯᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄ “ᓵᓚᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅᓱᓕᖅᖢᑕ ᐃᓯᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪ 3−1,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ. “ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒌᑦᑎᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ. ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ ᓇᓗᒧᖃᓕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓯᖅᓯᔪ 1−1, ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑐ ᐃᓯᖅᓯᔨᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑯᕋ ᕗᐊᑦ ᐊᕿᔮ ᑕᐃᑲᙵ ᕿᑎᐊᓂ. “ᓵᓚᖄᓪᓚᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᑕ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᓂ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᓚᐅᖅᑐᖓ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ. ᐱᙳᐊᖃᑎᖃᖅᖄᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓂᕕᐊᖅᓵ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᕗ ᐱᔪᒃᓯᓗᐊᖂᔨᔪᓐᓃᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ, ᐅᖃᖃᑎᒋᐊᓪᓚᓚᐅᖅᖢᒋ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎ, ᐃᓱᒪᖏ ᐊᓯᐊᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑕᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅᖢᓂᐅᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᑦᑎᐊᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ. “ᐃᒃᐱᒋᓚᐅᖅᑐᒍ ᐱᒃᑯᒍᓱᖕᓂᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᐅᔾᔨᒐᑦᑕ ᑰᓗᒥᒃ ᓲᖃᐃᒻᒪ ᒥᑭᓐᓂᖅᐹᖑᔪ ᓄᓇᓕᕗ ᓄᓇᕗᓕᒫᒥ,” ᐅᑲᓕᖅ ᐅᖃᕆᕗᖅ. ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂ ᓂᕕᐊᖅᓵᓂ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ U16−ᒥ, ᓄᑲᖅᖠᖅᐹᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ 12−ᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᙳᐊᑦᑎᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᓚᐅᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᓕᒫᖓᓂ, ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐅᑲᓕᖅ. ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᒪᕐᕉᒃ ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᓂᕐᒥᐅ U18 ᓂᕕᐊᖅᓵ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᐃᓗᑎᒃ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ 2026 ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᖅᑐᓂ. “ᑯᕋ ᕗᕋᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑕᓂᐅ ᐸᓂᑲ U18−ᒦᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᐅᓯ ᐸᓂᑲ, ᐃᒥᓕ ᒪᑐ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ (ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ) ᓴᓂᐅ ᐸᓂᑲ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ U16−ᑯᓐᓂ. “ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᓴᓯᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒍ ᐱᙳᐊᕆᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓄ ᐊᒍᓯ 2025 ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᔪᕈᓐᓃᖅᓴᖅᐸᒃᖢᑕ ᐱᖓᓱᐃᖅᓱᖅᖢᑕ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ. “ᐱᒃᑯᒋᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᕗ ᓂᕕᐊᖅᓵᖁᑎᕗ. ᐱᙳᐊᑦᑎᐊᕕᒡᔪᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᙳᓱᖃᑎᒌᒃᑲᓗᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐ. ᑎᑭᕋᕐᔪᐊᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᕋᓛᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᖏ ᓴᙱᔪ.”