Canada is a country rich in athletic and sporting prowess, having boasted some incredibly successful sporting personalities throughout the year. As such, there are also plenty of Canadian sporting fans – and those who enjoy placing bets on their favourites teams, players and athletes at top sites such as Boylesports.
In this article, though, we are going to look at some of the superstars of the future. This will celebrate those young, black athletes that are going to have their names in light. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at our top 5 rising black athletes that are looking set to make a huge impact on sport – and future generations of sports fans in the country and across the world.
Jayde Riviere: Soccer
First, we look at Jayde Riviere, a 21-year-old soccer player who plays as a forward on the Canadian national team. Although historically, a lot more attention has been focused on men’s soccer, there is certainly more interest in women’s soccer – and quite rightly so. For a start, it is home to some incredible athletes, such as Jayde Riviere.
Riviere is currently in her third year of study at the University of Michigan, where she has been given a full scholarship, as a result of her soccer skills. The Pickering, Ontario sportswoman represented Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – helping to lead the squad to a gold medal, after playing 27 minutes of the game against fellow finalists, Sweden.
Jayde is just 21 – and so has many years ahead, which is hugely exciting for her – and for us!
Tre Ford – Football
Tre Ford plays as a quarterback at the University of Waterloo – and is already making history. Last season, he became the first black player in the university – and the league, to be awarded the Hec Crighton Trophy as the country’s best University player.
Unsurprisingly, this has not gone unnoticed. The interest from the NFL, the biggest football league, has come in fast and furious for the player. After clocking a 4,45 forty-yard dash, he made sure all eyes were on him. According to sources, approximately 24 NFL teams have approached him – and he was also invited to the Buffalo Bills’ local pro day in April.
The teams that are showing the most interest in Ford are those that have dual-threat quarterbacks. They are looking to draft players with similar capabilities so that they don’t have to change offence.
According to testing metrics, the facts are undeniable. He is the fastest and most athletic quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft Class. In fact, he even outshone his Quarterback idol, Russell Wilson, in each one of the standard tests apart from the shuffle – and he checked in even taller than the Super Bowl champ, at 5ft 11 and a half inches.
Saroya Tinker: Hockey
Saroya Tinker is just 23 years old and she is looking to become a true trailblazer. The athlete, from Oshawa, Ontario currently plays a defensive role for the Toronto Six in the Premier Hockey Federation. Previous to this, she graduated from Yale University where she spent her four years playing on the Uni’s women’s hockey team. Now, she is known for dominating the ice – and she is a player that leads by example off the ice as well. She mentors BIPOC women in sports through ‘Saroya Strong’, her mentorship program.
Keesean Ferdinand: Soccer
At just 21 years old, Keesean Ferdinand plays soccer for the top MLS team, Montreal Impact. In June, Ferdinand signed with the team, which saw him becoming the team’s youngest-ever signing- when he was just 16 years old. We are expecting big things from the defender.
Cynthia Appiah: Bobsleigh
Although she only started to pursue bobsledding in 2014, it took her just 2 years to qualify for the World Cup, in January 2016. Now, in 2022, she has competed in her first-ever winter Olympics with the Canadian bobsleigh team in Beijing.