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Canadian assistant coach Jasmine Mander sent home ahead of match-up with New Zealand, a team that features her brother Amar as a physiotherapist
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Published Jul 24, 2024 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 4 minute read
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Women’s soccer assistant coach Jasmine Mander. Source: SOCCER CANADA prv
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Thursday’s opening-round women’s soccer game between Canada and New Zealand at 2024 Paris Olympics was supposed to feature North Delta siblings Amar and Jasmine Mander on opposite sides.
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Amar is a physical therapist for New Zealand. Jasmine is an assistant coach with Canada, but was sent home after a drone operated by Canadian team analyst Joseph Lombardi was caught flying over two separate New Zealand practices.
The Canadian Olympic Committee admitted in a release Wednesday morning that a “non-accredited member,” had been detained by French authorities following a complaint from the New Zealand team on Monday. In a later statement, they identified Lombardi as an “unaccredited analyst” with Canada Soccer, and listed him as reporting to Jasmine.
Lombardi was sent home as well. Federations have limits on how many staff members receive accreditation and full access at the Olympic games.
Amar told the Surrey Now-Leader’s Tom Zillich a month ago when the draw was announced and the opening duel between siblings was set up: “It was a crazy coincidence.”
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Jasmine, 29, and Amar grew up playing soccer in Delta and Surrey. Amar works with the Sungod Sports and Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Clinic. New Zealand was looking for physio for games Montreal and and Ottawa in 2021 and Amar signed on. He’s done other trips with them over the years, and a spot on the Olympic staff opened up due to a maternity leave.
Amar told Zillich: “We’d never, ever pictured ourselves going to the Olympics, let alone lining up against each other for different soccer teams. Honestly, I can’t even put it in words, the feeling.”
Here are five facts about Jasmine:
She, too, studied physio:
She has her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and her master’s in physical therapy from UBC. She was hired by the Canadian National women’s team in February 2021 as a performance analyst and helped them capture the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics that August. The UBC faculty of medicine alumni profile page featured her after that and she explained her duties for the Tokyo Olympics as such: “I support the scouting pre-tournament and in tournament, I provide analysis, support the development of the game plan and game plan reviews, individual player connects, and film and share footage from practice.”
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Injuries sparked her interest in physio:
She was part of UBC soccer’s 2013 incoming class, but knee trouble kept her off the field until 2015. UBC won the U Sports national title that season and Jasmine was named team captain the following campaign. In a feature on the UBC website ahead of that season, she spoke about how important her brother and parents were in her soccer. “I don’t think I’d even be playing varsity without my family. If I think about my influences it’s obviously my dad and my brother. I was kind of chasing my brother around for the ball at a young age. Mom’s been the taxi driver as well, so I’ve been a product of that. It’s always nice to see them in the stands when they do that starting eleven.” She was a member of the provincial team from 2008-2011, helping Team B.C. to gold at the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games. As well, she has represented Canada on both the U-15 and U-17 teams
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Soccer passion started early:
According to her Canada Soccer bio, Jasmine was four years old when she started playing soccer at Surdel Soccer and five years old when she joined Surrey FC. As well, she was 19 when she was selected to attend the 2014 FIFA Women’s Football Regional Coaching Workshop at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
She’s a coach:
Jasmine has her Canada Soccer A Coaching Licence. She coached previously in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System, and was a coach educator for B.C. Soccer.
One of Canada’s ‘Most Powerful’ women:
The Women’s Executive Network, which is a Toronto-based group that “celebrates the advancement of women at all levels, in all sectors, and of all ages,” recognized Jasmine in 2020 in its Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards. She was selected in the Arts, Sports & Entertainment category for “women who have shaped Canadian thinking, communications and culture.”
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Courtesy : https://theprovince.com/sports/surrey-soccer-sibling-showdown-in-paris-quashed-by-drone-spying-allegations