Gemma Karstens-Smith
Harshaan Alamwala, 15, practices on one of the basketball courts at a training centre opened by the Canadian Elite Basketball League s Fraser Valley Bandits, in Abbotsford, B.C., on Thursday, February 25, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck March 02, 2021 - 1:51 PM
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Baseballs cracking off bats. Basketballs dribbling on hardwood. The metal clang of free weights.
The sounds are unique for a suburban strip mall, but they re the usual soundtrack at a former Future Shop in central Abbotsford, B.C. Here, sandwiched between a Michael s and a Party City, the Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League have converted a giant old electronics store into a multi-sport gym in hopes of growing grassroots sports in the community.