A local entrepreneur, Amar Doman, has been unveiled as the new owner of CFL's B.C. Lions. He has been a fan of the CFL club since the age of 10 and watched the popularity of the professional Canadian football team fade in the community. Now, he wants to revive the team and the entire league as well.
Source- https://voiceonline.com/amar-doman-becomes-the-new-owner-of-the-bc-lions/
While
talking about his new ownership, Doman said, "I like to rebuild things. I
think this needs a rebuild, a community touch. And the CFL, I believe, needs a
bit of a reboot, and I think I'm the guy to do it. I think I can pull the
community together and also get the community and the team more involved locally."
He had
purchased the team from the estate of the last owner, David Braley. Damon is a Victoria-based businessman who founded and solely owns Futura Corporation. He
also leads Doman Building Materials and Tree Island Steel. For a long time, he
wanted to own B.C. lions and has finally realized his dream. He shared that he
talked to Braley about buying the team a few times over the last few years, but
Braley wasn't ready to sell.
Highlighting
the importance of seizing the opportunity, Damon said, "You can't time
business deals. When they come up, you're either going to move on them, or you're
not. And this type of opportunity I've been working on for a long time, so it's
something I would have happily closed on years ago, quite frankly."
Though Doman
didn't reveal how much the team cost him, he mentioned that he is willing to
invest more to ensure the team's success. He said, "I'm prepared to put
dollars into this team, as most owners are right now in the CFL. In the
Canadian athletic space, sports space, you're not in it to drive a big return.
If a return comes, I think that's great. I think the No. 1 thing you do with
that return is reinvest it in the organization and the community."
Braley was
a former Senator, a Hamilton businessman, and a Canadian Football Hall of Famer.
He bought the team in 1997 and wanted to sell it to someone who was passionate
about the team and the game. Despite several attempts over the years, he wasn't
able to find the right person. Unfortunately, he died last October at age 79.
He might have been relieved to know that the team is now owned by Damon, who
probably loves the team and the game as much as he did.
The Lions
finished the 2019 season of the game last in the West Division and had a 5-13
record. They got a 1-1 start this year and recently played the first home game.
Sharing
behind-the-scenes work plans, Doman said that he wants to "get B.C. Place
a little more noisy again." He also intends to work with the team in the
community. He also made it clear that Rick Campbell, the Head Coach, and Co-General
Manager will continue to be the face of the team.
Doman
stated, "To me, this isn't about one season. This is about the next 25-30
years and rebuilding the brand," he said. "There's a lot of different
factors that have to go in to get this going again. It won't happen overnight.
But we've got a good start just getting fans back into the seats after COVID."
Have a look
at Doman’s profile here
To keep up
with B.C. Lions, click here
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