Sunday Recap: Gold-Medal Moments Bring Families and Teams Together

Saturday brought championship games, packed gyms, and some of the loudest crowds of the Kelowna 2026 BC Summer Games as basketball teams competed for their place on the podium.

 

A Family Celebration

Miaad Nabizadeh

Kirsten Yap was still taking in the moment after helping Zone 5, Vancouver Coastal, win gold in girls’ basketball.

“I feel like I’m still in shock,” she said. “It was so much fun just to play and compete in this environment where it’s so loud.”

Her parents, Paul and Leslie, were there to celebrate with her. Kirsten said their presence made the victory even more meaningful.

“I feel so supported by my family,” she said. “They’re always supporting me in my sports journey and just everything, so I’m really grateful to have them here.”

For Paul, the gold medal brought back memories of everything required to reach the Games, from early morning practices to countless hours spent driving Kirsten to basketball.

“It’s been a journey to get her to this point, and it kind of makes all the driving and all the early morning practices worth it,” he said. “I’m very proud of her.”

Leslie expressed gratitude for the opportunities Kirsten had received and the coaches and organizers who had helped her along the way.

The Games also gave Kirsten the chance to build friendships beyond her own team. Athletes shared meals, cheered for one another, and brought pom-poms and tutus into the stands to support other competitors.

“We were all just being really loud,” Kirsten said. “It was a really great experience.”

 

Fraser Valley Coaches Credit Preparation and Composure

Miaad Nabizadeh

The Fraser Valley boys’ basketball team entered its gold-medal game expecting momentum to shift. Coaches Max and Matt had prepared the Zone 3 athletes for an early start and the pressure of a championship final. When Vancouver began closing the lead, the team remained composed.

“We started off great,” Max said. “Then we weathered the storms.”

Throughout the tournament, the coaches had reminded the players that every game would include scoring runs and difficult stretches. The goal was to prevent those moments from disrupting the team’s focus.

“Other coaches kept saying how calm they are when the other team goes on a streak,” Matt said. “We keep saying to them in the change rooms, ‘Streaks are coming. You’ve just got to be calm.’ And they did.”

That composure helped Fraser Valley regroup, rebuild its pressure, and finish the tournament with a gold medal.

The coaches also credited the Games environment. Having the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams competing in the same facility created packed stands and plenty of support from athletes cheering for their zones.

Max, who had competed at the Games as an athlete himself, said coaching the next generation to gold carried particular meaning.

“It was just beautiful to be able to give this experience to the children,” he said.

Both coaches also praised the volunteers who supported athletes at the accommodations, on buses, at meals, and throughout the competition venues.

“There were always so many volunteers,” Matt said. “You never needed to go looking for somebody to ask a question.”

 

Thirty Years Later, Back at the BC Games

Miaad Nabizadeh

The final buzzer had barely faded before Novel Thomas was surrounded by celebrating players, proud parents, and one very familiar athlete.

His daughter, Eve, had just helped Zone 5 capture gold in girls’ basketball, capping off a week that demanded resilience as much as skill. After struggling on the boards early in the final, the team found its rhythm in the fourth quarter.

“We got rebounds and started attacking more, pushing the ball and moving faster, and I think that helped our team win,” Eve said.

For Thomas, the victory added another chapter to a relationship with the BC Summer Games that stretches back decades. He competed at the Games in Prince George in the late 1980s before returning this summer as a coach, guiding the next generation through the same provincial stage. Championship games, he said, are memorable because of the pressure they create.

“Whenever you have the medal games, you always want the games to be competitive,” he said. “It’s always exciting to have a close final game when there’s a lot on the line.”

Thomas watched teams from across British Columbia arrive with different styles of play, then grow stronger as the tournament unfolded.

“Many of the teams improve as the Games go on because they adjust and they make changes. It’s the way it should be,” he said. He also praised Kelowna’s volunteers and Basketball BC for delivering the tournament, recalling his own experience as an athlete while appreciating the scale of organizing the Games from the other side of the bench.

“It’s a memory for her and all her teammates,” Thomas said. “As a parent you always want to see your child succeed. You want to see them overcome adversity and difficulties.”

As the gym emptied, another day of fierce competition came to a close. For the Thomas family, BC Games memories now belong to two generations.

 

Final Recap of the Kelowna 2026 BC Summer Games

With the final medals handed out and the fields, beaches, and gyms finally quiet, the Kelowna 2026 BC Summer Games have officially come to a close. It was a week filled with determination, sportsmanship, new friendships, and moments of pride across every venue in Kelowna and the Okanagan. From packed stands to podium finishes, this community showed up in a big way for these young athletes.

None of it happens without the people working behind the scenes. To every volunteer, official, sponsor, and community member who gave their time this week, thank you. Your dedication created an experience these athletes will carry with them for years to come.

Watch for more recaps and highlights on our social channels and website in the days ahead.

And now, we proudly pass the torch to our neighbour city, Penticton, for the 2028 BC Summer Games. Your turn to carry the spirit forward!