Zigurds “Zig” Legins

Soon after moving to Prince Albert in 1976, Zig Legins became involved in the sport of table tennis; a sport he learned in his homeland – Latvia.

Legins was a founding member of the Prince Albert Table Tennis. He coached, officiated and organized many events, including the table tennis venue at the 1982 Saskatchewan Winter Games in Prince Albert. Legins’ contributions to the Prince Albert Table Tennis Club were recognized with a life time membership in 1986.

His activity at the provincial level has been extensive. A director of the Saskatchewan Table Tennis Association for many years, Legins coached the Saskatchewan team at the Canadian championships in 1978. He has served as head umpire at numerous provincial tournaments and has also fostered improved officiating by conducting umpire clinics throughout Saskatchewan.

Legins received his national umpire’s designation in 1979 and his referee’s  certificate in 1991. He was an umpire at the national championships in Vancouver in 1979 and 1990, chief umpire at the 1990 Junior National Championships in Prince Albert and the national championships in Toronto in 1991. From 1992 to 1996, Legins served as an umpire or referee at national championship events.

Legins earned his international umpire designation in 1986. That year he was selected as an umpire for the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales. He also officiated at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in 1997. Lejins was an umpire at the North American Championships in 1998.  In 1996, Legins was an alternate umpire at the Atlanta Summer Olympics and then served as an umpire at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta.

In June 2002, Legins was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. The Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to induct Zig Legins in the builder category.

Inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.