Three people have been inducted into the Nanaimo Sport Hall of Fame in the Nanaimo Museum.
Hadi Abassi was recognized as a builder in the sports community. Larry Brown was inducted in the media category and Yvonne Visser was recognized for her performance as a biathlon athlete.
“These inductees have represented leadership, talent and sportsmanship in Nanaimo and elsewhere, leaving lasting legacies in their respective areas of expertise. They represent the spirit and heart of Nanaimo’s sports heritage and we are grateful to be able to recognize their significant contributions with a celebration and an ongoing exhibit the public can enjoy,” Nanaimo Museum general manager Sophia Maher wrote in the program for this year’s ceremony.
Abassi worked to establish the Vancouver Island Raiders Junior Football program and was a driver of the team’s first decade of success, with three national championships and six consecutive B.C. titles.
Brown worked as a live television director on networks including Sportsnet, TSN and CBC. He began his career in 1957 in Victoria and moved to Nanaimo in 1997. He worked as a TV director for the Vancouver Canuck play-by-play from 1998-2006. He also directed national TV coverage of curling events in the 1970s and 1980s and coverage of the Olympic Games in 1976,1984, 1988,1992, 1994 and 2010.
Visser was on the Canadian National Biathlon team for 12 years and competed in the Olympics in 1992 and 1994. She moved to Nanaimo in 2000 after becoming a sports massage therapist. She worked on medical teams accompanying Canadian athletes to the Olympics and various other events.
The Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame in in the lobby of the museum and is free to view. Nominations are accepted year-round and an induction ceremony is held every second year. This year’s was held at the end of February.
