Class of 2023: Regina Sports Hall of Fame names newest inductees

Local coaches, a sports writer and a Canadian championship bowling team are among the Regina Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 inductees.

This year’s inductees include:

• Toshi Shinmura, judo instructor
• Warren Poncsak, Basketball official and member of the Saskatchewan senior men’s handball team
• Rob Vanstone, Sports writer and Saskatchewan Roughriders historian
• Bob Strumm, Former Regina Pats General Manager
• Erwin Klempner, high school football coach and scout
• The 1995 Regina Mixed Five-Pin Bowling Team

Most of the inductees were present for the unveiling, including Shinmura.

“It’s a surprise, but I’m happy,” he said after the induction announcement.

Shinmura moved to Regina in 1977. The next year, he opened the Seidokan Judo Club, which he operated until 1998. After that, he became head sensei at the Regina Y Judo Club and held that position until 2016. In that time, he formed the Avonhurst Judo Club.

Shinmura estimated he has taught more than 2,000 students over the years.

“My sensei taught me to teach a long time, for a lifetime and that it is good for you,” he said. “Judo is a very hard sport and harder to teach, but I’m glad I taught for a long time.”

Vanstone, who has been writing about sports since joining the Regina Leader-Post in 1987, said he is still processing the fact that his name will be in the Hall of Fame like so many athletes and coaches he has looked up to over the years.

“It really floors me. It’s something I never really thought about. To me, the inductees have always been the people I’ve written about and in some cases nominated,” said Vanstone, who recently started a new career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as senior writer and historian.

“I’ve always looked at myself as the intermediary between the athletes, the coaches, the teams, everybody who’s involved in giving us this wonderful sporting community and the people who are interested in it enough to read it.”

The 1995 mixed five-pin bowling team was the only team inducted to the Hall of Fame this year. The team consisted of Frank Fochesato, Rob Salmond, Don Clearihue, Kevin Clark, Bev Prosofski, Brenda Cuthbertson, and Otilla Frei. They were coached by Wayne Fiesel.

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The Regina squad won the 1995 national championship in Hull, Quebec.

“When we saw what the team members were, we knew we were going to go all the way,” Cuthbertson said.

“We did it. It took us 28 years to get here, but we did it.”

Fochesato made the men’s all-star team and Cuthbertson made the women’s list.

This year’s addition of inductees puts the total number of members to 120.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 5 at the Conexus Arts Centre.