CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – Mayor Clifford Lee jointly with Canadian Ball Hockey Association President, Domenic Di Gironimo announced today that the 2005 Junior Nationals & Eastern Canada Youth Regionals Canadian Ball Hockey Championships (ages 8-19) will be hosted in Charlottetown from July 28th-31st, 2005.

The National & Regional Championships will bring together some of the best ball hockey players in the country for four days and will showcase a relatively young sport with a very short modern history, but has roots that can be traced back to similar games played with a ball and stick.

The Canadian Ball Hockey Association (CBHA) is a registered non-profit organization. It is officially recognized as the governing body of the sport in Canada by the International Street & Ball Hockey Federation, the Canadian Hockey Association and Sport Canada.

As the grass roots essence of the great game of hockey, the sport of ball hockey, often called street hockey can easily be played by anyone in the world, regardless of socio-economic background. It is the belief of the Canadian Ball Hockey Association that it can not only achieve national prominence, but international respect as well. The goal is to strive for official status in the Canada Games and in future, the Olympic Games.

“We are delighted to host this event,” said Mayor Clifford Lee. “It is a wonderful opportunity to extend our warm hospitality, promote the sport and display the talent of some of the best ball hockey players in the country.”

The National Championships will bring 400 participants to Charlottetown and will be held at City arenas. For additional information on the Canadian Ball Hockey Association, please visit www.cbha.com.