Basketball
Basketball appeared in the first Games, but was eliminated after the 1982 Games because of the overwhelming dominance of all four Alaskan teams. After seven Games the teams had won all but one gold Ulu, often winning by margins of more than 100 points.
While Alaskans cried foul over the sport’s elimination, basketball enthusiasts from the NWT and the Yukon were the ones who really demanded its return. They contended that the AWG was one of the few venues where they could play against superior teams that would then enable them to improve their game.
Basketball returned for the 1986 Games with a lower age limit for the Alaskan players. While Alaskan teams continued to dominate for the next ten years, their dominance was less pronounced.
In the last several Games, the level of play among Canadian teams has risen so much that Alaska is no longer guaranteed a ticket to the gold Ulu game. There is even talk of eliminating the age differential to ensure parity for Alaska.
Each team will have five players on the court to try and score more baskets than their opponent. The young athletes involved with the Arctic Winter Games will be showing everyone their skills of dribbling, shooting and passing of the basketball.
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