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After almost a week of uncertainty about the accessibility of the occasion due to her maternity leave, Team Lawes Vice President Selena Njegovan has shown her goal of participating in the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship.
Curling Canada and Njegovan said they set the record straight after a miscommunication caused confusion about their role in the Scotties Heart Tournament at halftime.
Njegovan learned last week that she wouldn’t have the same as other athletes at the Feb. 17-26 event. Then, the organization clarified things with the team and granted her the substitution she was looking for as a non-player.
“He was excited and we’re glad Curling Canada replaced his mind,” Njegovan said. “There seemed to be a miscommunication around all of this.
“Once we sat down and talked, I was given permission to be on the bench. “
Many groups use a replacement, also called a fifth, in national playoffs and other major events. Traditionally, the exchange sees occasional play action and regularly focuses on team tasks.
A “non-player” replacement is a new focus for Curling Canada in its 18-team competition. The only limitation for Njegovan is that he will not be allowed to walk on ice at the Sandman Center in Kamloops, B. C.
“I think the confusion is that this is a totally new situation,” he told The Canadian Press from Winnipeg. “They’ve never had anything like this before. “
Nolan Thiessen of Curling Canada said that when an athlete is on the ice at a Scotties game or practice, it would be considered as the job of a substitute. Njegovan, who is due to give birth at the end of March, is not entitled to it. your permission
However, Njegovan will be allowed to sit at the end of the sheet with coach Lisa Weagle, finish players’ timeouts and attend practice sessions from the carpet-covered domain to ice level.
When he was first told he would have limited access to the site, he stayed home and supported his teammates remotely through online meetings.
The explanation for access came from a team call with Thiessen on Sunday night. He showed the changes a few days later when he was contacted in Edmonton via The Canadian Press.
“I’m leaving now,” said Njegovan, who was given permission to travel by his doctor. “I plan to be there all the time, as long as the women play. “
Lawes earned the Scotties’ wild-card spot with the No. Laura Walker of Edmonton will update Njegovan in the lineup.
The team had to apply for a pregnancy waiver to allow the replacement of a player from outside the province in the competition.
First, Canada’s curling limited entries to the five most sensible groups in the national rankings. After protests and additional complaints from some high-profile Bigudis, the organization reversed its policy twice.
The first adjustment allowed everyone to apply for exemption at the 2024 national championships. Another replacement followed a day later, allowing all of this year’s championships to apply.
“This (last) week hasn’t been wonderful with everything that’s been developed,” said Thiessen, the organization’s executive director of marketing and fan experience.
“I think everything was done with a lot of those things with the most productive intentions, but obviously it wasn’t delivered properly. . . we at Curling Canada have easily said that we have not been successful here. Therefore, we must improve and we do. “
Njegovan saw last week’s progress as positive.
“I don’t need to blame Curling Canada at all because it was a new stage and there were a lot of moving parts,” he said. “They went back and corrected everything and made sure everything was okay in the future. I appreciate that.
“I think it’s a step forward and it turns out that other people are satisfied that those adjustments have been made. “
Njegovan, Lawes, the moment Jocelyn Peterman, the first Kristin MacCuish reached the semifinals of the Manitoba playoffs, fell to Meghan Walter, who lost to Jennifer Jones in the final.
Walter and Casey Scheidegger joined Lawes as generic entries to the Scots.
“You never know when you’re going to get back there, so you have to worry about any and all ways you can,” Njegovan said. “We’ve had such a crazy year with some pregnancies and other players coming and going.
“We just worked hard and just wanted to be part of the team and be there. “
After several days of off-ice scenarios, the focus may still be on curling, as the Scots return to the general after limited participation and COVID-19 protocols have been in place for two years.
Lawes is one of the headliners in a deep box that Rachel Homan of Jones, Ontario, and protective champion Kerri Einarson.
“I think (our) team is capable of winning everything,” Njegovan said. “We have worked very hard this year. Even if we’ve had other players in other positions, it just shows our resilience during the year. “
“To have that good fortune with conversion situations, I would say it’s pretty impressive. So I’m really excited to see how women are doing and we’ll see what happens. “
The Canadian Press report first published on February 8, 2023.
Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.
Gregory Strong, the Canadian press