Gray and Lumley wrap up play with team Canada
A pair of X-Men soccer players are wrapping up the trip of a lifetime as members of team Canada at the Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China. Midfielder A.J. Gray and defender Steven Lumley joined a large Canadian contingent at the international tournament which began August 12th and wraps up tomorrow. The Canadian men’s soccer team placed ninth overall with a 3-2-1 record.
Although they finished 1-2 in pool play and did not qualify for the medal round, StFX’s third year midfielder A.J. Gray from Brampton, Ont. enjoyed his overseas experience. “My experience in China has been truly remarkable; to see all the different countries come together in one location and compete every day has been amazing,” says Gray.
“It has also been a pleasure to witness how dedicated an athlete can be towards their sport and country, showing a lot of passion and heart on and off the field or court. The one thing I found to be very interesting is that although there are over 100 different countries competing in the FISU Games, the one thing that seems to bring everybody together is the English language. This is truly a time in my life I will not forget, to play in front of thousands of people, to interact with many different people from different countries, and also witness firsthand the unique Chinese culture. It has been a privilege to represent Canada and St. Francis Xavier University on the world stage.”
Gray was a starter for team Canada in each of their pool games. The Canadians dropped an opening 2-1 decision to Great Britain in a close game, followed by a decisive 6-1 loss to a strong Japanese team which eliminated them from the medal round. They managed a 1-1 draw with Ghana in their final game of pool play. StFX defender Steven Lumley, a native of Mississauga, Ont. started for Canada in the game against Japan and also saw action in the first game against Great Britain. He also was impressed by the setting of the international tournament.
“I have been to many countries in my life through playing soccer with the national team, but I must say China is by far the best place I have been to. The culture here is fascinating, from seeing complete families riding on a bicycle to get around town, to the amazing shopping and all the numerous buildings, I am going to have to come back to Visit China for sure. Although the soccer side of things was rough, and not one of my best soccer experiences, it was great to come out and witness the Chinese culture, a country I would recommend to visit for sure.”
With the Canadians not advancing to the medal round, they were relegated to the consolation bracket where they played three more games and were able to close out the tournament with three straight victories, good enough for a ninth place finish overall. The red and white earned a 4-3 victory in penalty kicks over Namibia, followed by a 5-1 win over Malaysia. Their final game was a 1-0 victory over Colombia. Canada finished with a 3-2-1 record and the ninth place showing was the second best result in seven all-time appearances at the FISU tournament, trailing only a fourth-place finish in 2007.
The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. Over 12,000 athletes and officials from 152 countries participated at the Shenzhen Games, including the Canadian delegation of 349 athletes, coaches and team officials. The Universiade is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.