Richmond Sentinel looks back at the 2017 inductees of the Richmond sports Wall of Fame.
Since the end of 2023, Richmond Sentinel has highlighted the past inductees and their journey into the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame. In this edition, we look at the sports contributions of the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame, Class of 2017. 

Andrew Mavis – basketball 

Andrew Mavis grew up in Richmond as a three-sport athlete, playing soccer, track and field, and basketball. “During his time at Richmond High, he discovered his true passion for the sport of basketball and fell in love with the game for good. Between 1992 and 1994, Mavis and his teams reached the Junior Boys Basketball Provincials and the BC 3A High School Boys’ Basketball Provincials. As a tenth grader he would be named First Team All-Star at a tournament where his school, Palmer, would be crowned the Junior Boys Provincial Champions. In the following years of high school he would be named Second Team All-Star and then First Team All-Star while attending Richmond High. In his first year out of high school, Mavis earned 1st Team All-conference honours in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. In the summer of 1997, Mavis transferred to Northern Arizona University where he would be named NCAA Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year. In his junior year, he would be named the NCAA Big Sky Conference Player of the Year and his team would win their first Big Sky conference championships. After graduating he played professionally in England for two years, played on the 2000 Olympic team that placed seventh, before calling it a career. 

Arjun Bhullar - Wrestling

Arjan Bhullar was born and raised in East Richmond, he attended Whiteside Elementary school and McRoberts Secondary. He finished high school a three-time high school Provincial Champion. After graduating, Arjan attended Simon Fraser University (SFU), where he would win the bronze medal in the 2006 University World Championships in Mongolia while representing SFU. In 2007, he represented Canada at the Pan American Games in Brazil, finishing with another bronze medal. 2008 was a big year for his athletic career, he was named Athlete of the Year at SFU, becoming the only wrestler in SFA history to win a university national title in Canada and the United States, and he was named Outstanding Wrestler of the National Tournament in the United States. In 2009, Richmond Sports Awards named him the University Athlete of the Year, as he went onto place top ten at the World Championships. The following year he captured the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the 120-kilogram weight class. In 2012 represented Team Canada at the Olympics and was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee Award in 2013 by the Lieutenant Governor for significant contributions and achievements. In 2014, Bhullar would transition to mixed martial arts, going pro in November. He has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the ONE Championship, as this article is being written, Bhullar is set to fight Amir Aliakbari at ONE 164. 

Darcy Marquardt – Rowing 

Like her fellow 2017 Richmond Sports Wall of Fame Inductee Arjan Bhullar, Darcy attended Whiteside Elementary school and McRoberts Secondary. Growing up Darcy was a three sport athlete playing softball, figure skating, and cosom hockey. After high school, Darcy would attend the University of Victoria (UVIC), joining the rowing team. As a freshman she would capture the 1999 Rowing Rookie of the Year award. She won the Women’s Henley Championship in 2000 and would go onto become the Team Captain in her third year at UVIC. Their rowing team would win University of Victoria Team of the Year and become Great Britain Canadian University Rowing Champions in 2001 and 2002. Between 2002 and 2013, Darcy competed on behalf of the Canadian National Team for ten years. In her first two year representing Canada her team won a silver and bronze medal in consecutive World Championships. In 2004, she competed in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics finishing fourth. In 2006 she won gold at the Rowing World Championships. In 2010 and 2011, she and her team captured silver medals at the World Championship level. In 2012, representing Canada, she would be part of the team that won an Olympic Silver medal at London Summer Olympics. 

Dr. Doug Nielsen - Softball 

Doug Nielsen has lived in Richmond since 1949. He has a passion for baseball and bowling, a sport that can be traced back to his first job when he was setting up bowling pins at his father’s bowling lane at Skyway Bowling Lanes and his time on the Richmond youth bowling team. As a member of Skyway Lanes Bowling Club between 1955 to 1965 he almost bowled a perfect game. He competed in three marathons between 1970 and 1990 and even helped his neighbourhood out by essentially being a one man block watch on his runs. Between 1985 to 2003, Doug spent coaching Richmond Rep A girls aged 10 to 18 years old in the Richmond Girls Softball Association. While coaching the team, he would also coach other teams including team BC’s softball team that would win silver medal in the Western Canadian Championships in 1990 and a team that would win the bronze medal at the Kamloops “Believe in Dreams” Canada Games. His dedication to coaching the next generation and helping develop their skills led to him winning many awards including Coach of the Year in 2003, an American College of Dentistry Fellowship in 2008, a Dr. Paul Rondeau Humanitarian Award in 2010, and a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. 

Glenn Kishi – basketball 

Glenn Kishi grew up in Richmond and attended Austin Harris Elementary School. He would then attend Lord Byng before moving on to Hugh Boyd Secondary. He transferred to Steveston High and would graduate attending the University of British Columbia. His football career at UBC was abruptly cut short due to a serious neck injury. He would go onto start his coaching career in 1975 at Steveston High. He started teaching in Richmond in 1988, continuing to coach football and basketball at the high school level and in the community. Teams he’s coached have won the 1980 Football League, 1986 Basketball League, back to back football provincial championships in 1989 and 1990, juvenile boys basketball zones championship in 1990, a junior boys basketball provincial championship in 1991, two minor football championships in 1996 and 2001 in the Vancouver Mainland Football league and provincial tournament, and a league championship in 2005. He was awarded the 1994 Bill Goodman Memorial Coaching award, 2001 Coach of the Year by Richmond Sports Award, and the Richmond Secondary School Athletics Association’s 20 Years’ Service Award in 2013. Glen retired from teaching in 2013 but his teachings are carried on by players that went pro and former players turned coaches. 

Jennifer Joyce – Track and Field 

Jennifer was born and raised in Richmond graduating from McRoberts Secondary in 1998. Growing up she was a three sport athlete playing soccer, volleyball and track, having lived close to Minoru Park was certainly an advantage for an athlete that wanted to work on their skills. Like many who excel in track and field, Jennifer’s success in the sport began as a member of Kajaks Track & Field Club. From her junior year in high school to her freshman year in university, Jennifer captured the title of Canadian Junior National Champion, High School Athlete of the Year in 1998, and University Athlete of the Year from 1999 to 2000. In 2002 she won the Pac-10 championships, placed third at the NACAC U25 Championships, and 7th at the Commonwealth Games while representing Canada. She held the Canadian record in hammer throw for five consecutive years. In 2003, she took on a coaching role at the University of California Berkley campus, while participating in Hammer Throw Championships, capturing four titles including a three-peat from 2003 to 2005. She qualified for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, and in 2009 became the second Canadian woman to break the 70 meter barrier in hammer throw, recording a distance of 70.34 metres 

Kanwal singh Neel – Track and Field 

Kanwal Singh Neel as born in Mombasa, Kenya, together with his family they moved to Canada when he was 16. He was initially enrolled at Kitsilano Secondary school before transferring to Steveston High to finish his high school diploma. He enrolled into the Bachelor’s of Science program at UBC, majoring in mathematics and computer science while continuing to compete in track and field events with Kajaks Track & Field Club. Injuries forced him to transition from an athlete to an official so he could still be part of the sport. After graduating from UBC, he began teaching in the Richmond School District while officiating sports events. As an official he was named BC Track and Field Official of the Year in 1979, given an Olympic Celebration 1988 Award, and given four commemorative medals in 1992, 1994, and 2001 for recognitions of contributions to compatriots, community and to Canada, for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, and the 2001 World Athletic Championships. He has also represented Canada as a technical official in the 1978, 1982, and 1994 Commonwealth Games, as well as the 2001 and 2010 World Track and Field Championships. He has also been involved in events like the World Police & Fire Games, the Vancouver Sun Run, and the BMO Vancouver Marathon. 

Nancy Carey - Field Hockey 

Nancy Carey joined the Richmond School District as a teacher in 1975, she introduced the sport of field hockey to the school district and helped raise awareness and popularity in the sport at the community level. She taught for over 30 years and was key in coaching many successful Richmond school field hockey teams. At her first school, McRoberts Junior Secondary, she coached the junior girls field hockey team until 1976. In 1984, she started the first Richmond girl’s field hockey team that would blossom into a large club with more than 200 members. By 1999, Nancy coached a variety of teams as a coach in the Richmond Field Hockey Club. She was awarded the President’s Awards Dedicated to Sport in BC in 1999 and the team she was coaching at the time, The Richmond Eagles, were named Female Youth Team of the Year. Between 1990 and 2000, the Eagles went undefeated for nine seasons, winning six provincial championships. In 2009, a Vancouver-Richmond league championship trophy and a $1000 scholarship for a graduating Richmond Field Hockey Club member was created. The scholarship was created to honour Nancy and her husband Lance; a member of the Richmond Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2016, for their contributions to the sport of field hockey.