When it was announced that Dauphin would play host to the 2020 Manitoba Summer Games, there was buzz, excitement and preparations began for the host committee as they got set to host hundreds of athletes in various sports in Manitoba's largest multi-sport event.

Ultimately, Dauphin did not get the chance to host those games because of restrictions that were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. All of a sudden, there was a lot of heartbreak and one of the biggest questions that needed to be answered was what's next? Well now three years removed from that tough time, we now know what is next as Dauphin will get a chance to host the Manitoba Games powered by Manitoba Hydro.

Sport Manitoba has announced that Dauphin will play host to the event from August 11 to 17, 2024. In just more than a year, the top age-eligible athletes from across the province will embark on Dauphin to show off their talents. The list of athletes will include several from the region representing Team Parkland. 

Carla Wolfenden is a part of the organizing committee and she says the wonderful countdown has begun.

"Our executive is gearing up now and we're dusting off our operational plans that were only a few months away from being implemented back in 2020," said Wolfenden. "It was really disheartening to be so close and then having to put on the brakes. With that said, we have had some time to think and get re-motivated here, we are ready to go."

Dauphin and the area will welcome 1,750 athletes to compete in 12 sports over seven days. The sports include athletics, baseball, basketball, cycling, golf, rugby, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, triathlon, and volleyball. Eligibility is open to athletes between the ages of 10 and 17.

Just minutes away from Riding Mountain National Park, Dauphin will also get the opportunity to showcase all of its beauty and its amazing facilities. Volleyball will be played at Credit Union Place while the basketball portion of the event will be played at the DRCSS. Golfing will take place at the Gilbert Plains Country Club while the state-of-the-art Northgate Trails will host cycling. Track and field will be taking place at the high school and the track will be brand-new.

"The nice thing about doing this over again is we get another round at sprucing the facilities up," said Wolfenden. "We're replacing the track at the high school this fall which is very exciting. All of our amazing facilities will benefit from hosting these games."