More Than 2,000 Students, 600 + Amateur and International Athletes Compete in the 59th Edition of the Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan Indoor Games

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 59th edition of the Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan Indoor Games came to an end this weekend, leaving thousands of students and fans with a smile and warm heart thanks to the power of healthy competition, athletic achievement and community. The games, which began on Thursday with some 2,000 students competing in intercity relays, concluded on Saturday with the finals of the meet portion of the games in categories like men and women pole vault, long and high jump, shot put, dashes, runs and hurdles.

“The more involved I get with the games, the more I realize how important they are,” said Gil Wist, president of the Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan Indoor Games planning committee. “We conceived of these games more than 60 years ago and yet I think the need is greater today. Young people benefit from a positive environment where everybody can experience the benefits of sports – physically, mentally and socially. It’s a real honour to be a part of it all.”

Behind the organizing committees are members from the Knights of Columbus, more than 100 at this year’s event, who contribute their time and resources to help put on and promote the games. They come from as far as Regina and Prince Albert and are supported by their families, councils and communities. An international organization of men at the service of others, the Knights have been in Canada since 1897 and Saskatchewan since 1907.

The Knights of Columbus Saskatchewan Indoor Games is one of the few high-level track and field events in Canada which blend international competition, college and high school competitions and elementary school relays. Its goal is to provide the youth of Saskatchewan with positive role models by having the elementary school students compete in the same meet as the international stars.

“This year’s event is truly one for the record books,” said Laura Young, Executive Director of the games. “With more than 2,500 people in attendance and 600 athletes on the field on top of the almost 400 elementary school relay teams, we witnessed memories that will last a lifetime. That’s the legacy of the games and the reason why we put them on to begin with. I’m so grateful that the Knights of Columbus continue to embrace this tradition and I look forward to next year’s event.”

World indoor shot-put champion Sarah Mitton from Nova Scotia was one of 30 high-performance athletes competing in the international invitational meet. Competing in the shot-put finals on Saturday, Sarah took home first place with a 20.22 m throw. This performance has her currently placed as the #1 shot performance in the World. Nigerian sprinter Usheoritse Itsekiri earned a top-place finish in the men’s 60 m dash with a 6.69 sec. performance, one split second ahead of Canadian Eliezer Adjibi, who clocked in at 6.70.

About the Knights of Columbus

In 1882, Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut, founded the Knights of Columbus to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into the world’s premier lay Catholic men’s organization, with more than 2.2 million members in over 16,800 local councils. As members of one of the world’s leading charitable organizations, Knights donated more than 48 million service hours and over $197 million for worthy causes in their communities in 2024. The Knights of Columbus also offers a range of life insurance products to members and their families. Knights of Columbus Insurance has more than $124 billion* of life insurance in force. In addition, the organization offers investment services in accord with Catholic social teaching through its wholly owned subsidiary, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, which holds more than $30 billion** in assets under management. Guided by the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, the Knights of Columbus is committed to strengthening Catholic families and parishes, by enabling men to grow in their faith and put that faith into action through service to all in need. To learn more or to join the Knights of Columbus, please visit kofc.org/join.

*As of January 1, 2026
**As of January 1, 2026