Ranjit Dillon smiles as he sees his familiar #5 emblazoned on a banner that will soon hang from the rafters at The Q Centre.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 glad they added the B次元官网网址楻,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he laughs, referring to his initial. B次元官网网址淭here are a lot of Dillons around.B次元官网网址�
Many of them from his own family, he could have added, as Dillon had 10 brothers and sisters, including Nirmal Dillon, a longtime Victoria Shamrock and fellow Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Famer B次元官网网址� both brothers were inducted in 2005.
The pair were introduced to the sport in their teens by lacrosse coach Doug Fletcher. Before that, Dillon says he didnB次元官网网址檛 even know what lacrosse was, but he took to the sport quickly.
B次元官网网址淚 really have to give so much credit to [Fletcher],B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗e was the godfather of minor lacrosse. He would be out there at Stevenson Park on Saturday morning B次元官网网址� running up and down the floor with us and telling us what to do. If it wasnB次元官网网址檛 for him, none of this would have happened.B次元官网网址�
A bantam team was soon formed and the squad came to be known as Punjab United because much of the roster was made up of Indo-Canadians.
DillonB次元官网网址檚 game continued to develop through his teens and he helped lead the Junior Shamrocks to the 1962 Minto Cup.
He joined the senior Shamrocks in 1966 and for many years he was one of the few bright stars for the club during a rare stretch of futlity for the storied franchise.
The club finally came out of its slump towards the end of the 1970s and Dillon B次元官网网址� who played in a club record 443 games by the time his career was over B次元官网网址� finally won that elusive first Mann Cup in 1979, the teamB次元官网网址檚 first in 22 years.
B次元官网网址淚t just worked out absolutely perfectly looking back at it now,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭o win it at home after the fans suffered all those years, it was a dream come true. Like it was scripted.B次元官网网址�
He retired with 450 goals and 788 assists, leading the Western Lacrosse Association in scoring in 1967, but heB次元官网网址檚 quick to point out that his proudest work came in the defensive zone. In todayB次元官网网址檚 game, substitutions are common as a team transitions from defence to offence, but that wasnB次元官网网址檛 the case when Dillon was sporting the green and white.
B次元官网网址淒efending was my main love in lacrosse B次元官网网址� when I played defense in lacrosse I worked really hard at doing a good job. The offense just happened,B次元官网网址� he said.
In addition to his inclusion in the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame, Dillon has also been inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Even with the numerous honours heB次元官网网址檚 earned over the years, Dillon says FridayB次元官网网址檚 ceremony will be particularly special.
B次元官网网址淗anging the sweater, itB次元官网网址檚 so far out there that you canB次元官网网址檛 even think or dream or imagine it happening to you. ItB次元官网网址檚 just the most special award you can give any player of any sport B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檒l probably pinch myself the day after and wonder whether itB次元官网网址檚 really true.B次元官网网址�
joel.tansey@goldstream
