Sinclair still has unfinished business

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Christine Sinclair would like to clear the air. But not about anything concerning her illustrious career or potential retirement plans.

This is about the now infamous Mario Kart intrasquad tournament that took place during the Tokyo Olympics and some trash-talking by champion Vanessa Gilles.

“Let’s set the record straight,” Sinclair said. “I've never played Nintendo Switch before, okay? So, I was proud that I got out of my group. And then I lost in the next round. But for a beginner, I thought I did well. But Vanessa is just obnoxious with it.”

Now the team has moved on to Oculus, a virtual reality headset, which was brought into this month’s camp by Desiree Scott.

“I tried that for the first time yesterday, immediately took it off and went online and bought one. So, I will be ready for when that becomes a thing,” Sinclair laughed.

The Canadian captain and her teammates are back at home to take on Nigeria in a pair of friendlies. The two teams face off at B.C. Place in Vancouver on Friday before shifting to Starlight Stadium in Victoria on Monday.

For the team, the games are a continuation of the Celebration Tour that began in October in honour of the squad winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics. For Sinclair, who hails from Burnaby, B.C., it’s a chance to play in front of friends and family as the squad returns to Vancouver for the first time since 2017.

“I think when you're a younger player, you just take these opportunities for granted,” she told TSN during an interview on Thursday. “As you get older, you realize that the ability to play at home doesn't happen too often. So, for me, this is always special – to be able to play at B.C. Place in front of my friends and family, to represent Canada, to