The John D. Quitte MenSA国际影视传媒檚 Handgames Tournament in Gameti brought together 32 teams vying for a $100,000 prize pot.

SA国际影视传媒淓verybody had fun, I had fun, so no complaints,SA国际影视传媒� said Peter John Apples, one of the organizers, who spent months helping to plan the event. SA国际影视传媒淓verything turned out pretty good.SA国际影视传媒�

The tournament took place March 15-17 in the Tlicho community of just under 300 people.

The top two teams were both from Gameti, while the third came from another Tlicho community in Behchoko, but competitors visited from as far away as Yukon and Alberta. The top team earned $30,000 while second place got $20,000 and third place was awarded $15,000. The remainder of the prize money was split among the fourth to eighth place teams.

SA国际影视传媒淭here are a lot of people that came out with their own vehicles and they brought in their family and their kids,SA国际影视传媒� said Apples. SA国际影视传媒淚t was very exciting.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 pretty happy with my community.SA国际影视传媒�

It was indeed a community effort.

Not only were there many people helping out with the games themselves, but a team of local cooks prepared roughly 300 plates of food for the participants and spectators.

SA国际影视传媒淭hatSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of plates,SA国际影视传媒� Apples said, laughing. SA国际影视传媒淭he cooks were pretty busy making sure there was food to eat for all the players or whoever wants to go to the school have something to eat.SA国际影视传媒�

In addition to the games, the event featured traditional drum dancing and some poker games for anyone eager to play cards.

Apples also expressed his happiness that everyone SA国际影视传媒渕ade it home safe.SA国际影视传媒�

Handgames are a longstanding tradition among Dene people in the NWT. While some traditions are slowly disappearing, that does not appear to be true in this case.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 great to see, according to Apples, and a testament to the work of former Tlicho grand chief and dedicated handgames organizer and player George Mackenzie.

SA国际影视传媒淕eorge Mackenzie is the one who got these Tlicho handgames tournaments started, going from community to community,SA国际影视传媒� Apples said, extending a SA国际影视传媒渂ig thank youSA国际影视传媒� to the former grand chief.

SA国际影视传媒淗andgames is about our cultural way of life and teaching our young ones to carry that on, so mahsi cho to him.SA国际影视传媒�