News Releases

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 12, 2011) - BMO Bank of Montreal will honour the 1933 Chinese Students Soccer Team's induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday, September 13 at the BMO branch in Chinatown. The team, which BMO began sponsoring in 1920, will be inducted at a separate ceremony later in the evening.

It was through BMO's sponsorship that the team was able to join the local adult league. In 1933, they beat the University of British Columbia in the BC Mainland Cup – the major championship in the province for senior teams. This was an historic event considering the cultural barriers for Chinese citizens at the time. Chinatown celebrated the win with parades and firecrackers and the following day was declared as a holiday in Chinatown. The team disbanded in 1937.

"We hope many young soccer players will be inspired, as we were, by the success of the Chinese Students' Soccer Team. We're proud at BMO to have played a small role in supporting the team in their quest to play The Beautiful Game," said Ashish Arora, Personal Banking Area Manager, Vancouver Downtown, BMO Bank of Montreal.

The BC Sports Hall of Fame Banquet of Champions takes place in the evening of September 13^th when the team will receive their official induction in the Pioneer Category.

About BMO and Soccer

BMO supports soccer across Canada, from youth players in local neighbourhoods and communities, to the professional level. Our deep commitment to "The Beautiful Game" is evident with our grassroots sponsorship of more than 950 youth teams nationally and through the BMO Team of the Week contest, which kicked off its inaugural year in 2011. This relationship continues with the bank's support of Canada's men's and women's national teams, professional teams (Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC) and our soccer venue title sponsorship (BMO Field).

About the BC Sports Hall of Fame

The BC Sports Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization that, for the last 45 years, has been the preeminent custodian of sport artifacts representing more than 100 years of British Columbia's sport heritage. When the new roof is opened in fall 2011, the BC Sports Hall of Fame will reopen to the public in a revitalized space putting the Hall of Champions and exhibits from the 2010 Winter Games front and centre. For more information, visit www.bcsportshalloffame.com.

Internet: www.BMOsoccer.com