{{Short description|Canadian fencer (born 1949)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Eli Sukunda | image = | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nationality = | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|4|10|df=yes}} | birth_place = Windsor, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | height = | weight = | country = | sport = Fencing | event = | collegeteam = | club = | team = | turnedpro = | coach = | retired = | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | highestranking = | pb = | show-medals = yes }}

'''Eli Sukunda''' (born 10 April 1949) is a Canadian fencer. He competed at the 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics.<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/eli-sukunda-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195431/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/eli-sukunda-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Eli Sukunda Olympic Results |access-date=3 April 2011 |work=sports-reference.com}}</ref>

==Biography== Sukunda began as a track and field athlete. He came 2nd at OFSAA All Ontario championships in the junior 120-yard hurdles. At the 1968 Canadian Junior Track and Field Championships, he came 1st in the 440-yard hurdles.

He attended Wayne State University on a Scholar-Athlete bursary as a track and field athlete. He studied English literature and graduated magna cum laude. In his third year of university, Sukunda met Istvan Danosi, the head coach of Wayne State's fencing program.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wayne State University Athletics, Hall of Fame, Istvan Danosi|url=http://wsuathletics.com/hof.aspx?hof=45&path=&kiosk=}}</ref> Sukunda trained under Danosi in 1968, 1969 and 1970. After 1970, Sukunda trained himself. For his master's degree in English literature, Sukunda attended the University of Toronto. While competing for them, he came 1st at the OUAA Fencing Championships in Men's Sabre in 1971–1972 as well as in 1972–1973.

In 1975, Sukunda came 1st in Men's Sabre at the Canada Winter Games. In 1984, Sukunda came 1st in Senior Men's Sabre at the Canadian Fencing Championships. At the same tournament, he came 2nd in Men's Sabre in 1975, 1978, 1981 and 1982. When he was on the national team, Sukunda attended numerous Pan American Games, Commonwealth Championships and World Cups. Individually, Sukunda came 3rd at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. The Canadian Men's Sabre Team came 2nd at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. They came 1st at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. They came 3rd at the Pan American Games of 1975, 1979 and 1983.

At the 1976 Summer Olympics, Sukunda came 32nd in the Individual Men's Sabre. The Canadian team placed 9th in Team Men's Sabre.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=Eli Sukunda Biography and Olympic Results|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/eli-sukunda-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417195431/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/eli-sukunda-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-04-17}}</ref> At the 1984 Summer Olympics, Sukunda and the Canadian team placed 7th in Team Men's Sabre.<ref name="auto"/> At the 1988 Summer Olympics, Sukunda was Canada's team captain.

After Sukunda retired as an athlete, he began coaching. From 1977 to 1992, Sukunda was head coach at University of Windsor. His men's fencing team won the overall OUAA Fencing Championships in 1982 and 1986. His fencing teams finished no worse than 2nd in 14 of his 16 seasons. In 1993, Sukunda coached Canada's national Men's Sabre team at the World University Games and in the same year, he became head coach at Carleton University. In 1999 and 2000, Sukunda coached Canada's national Women's Sabre team at the World Fencing Championships. In the 2009–2010 season, Sukunda was named Carleton University's Coach of the Year. His men's and women's fencing teams each placed first overall at the OUA championships. It marked the second OUA title in the history of the Ravens women's program and the men's first championship since 2000–2001. It was also the first time both the men's and women's teams have captured gold in the same year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ravens Honoured at Varsity Awards Banquet|url=http://oua.ca/about/news/index.html?article_id=10012|access-date=31 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928011517/http://oua.ca/about/news/index.html?article_id=10012|archive-date=28 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the 2011–12 season, Sukunda's women's fencing team at Carleton University placed first overall at the OUA championships.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ravens Capture OUA Crown|url=http://goravens.carleton.ca/fencing-news/ravens-capture-oua-crown/|access-date=21 February 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708110532/http://goravens.carleton.ca/fencing-news/ravens-capture-oua-crown/|archive-date=8 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the 2012–2013 season, Sukunda's women's fencing team at Carleton University placed first overall at the OUA championships. In the 2013-2014 and 2014–2015 seasons, his men's fencing team at Carleton University placed first overall at the OUA championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goravens.ca/news/fencing/2014/02/ravens-fencing-oua-champions/|title=Ravens Fencing, OUA Champions - Go Ravens|publisher=|access-date=31 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://goravens.ca/news/2015/02/carleton-ravens-crowned-oua-mens-fencing-champions/|title=Carleton Ravens crowned OUA Men's Fencing Champions - Go Ravens|publisher=|access-date=31 August 2016}}</ref>

In 1996, Sukunda was inducted into the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|title=Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame|url=http://wecshof.org/}}</ref>

==Personal life== Sukunda is the father of Zachary Sukunda, a professional soccer player.<ref name=tradition>{{cite web|url=https://en.cfmontreal.com/news/family-tradition-perseverance|title=A family tradition of perseverance|date=June 17, 2016|work=CF Montreal|first=Raphaël|last=Larocque-Cyr}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{sports links}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sukunda, Eli}} Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Olympic fencers for Canada Category:Fencers at the 1976 Summer Olympics Category:Fencers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Sportspeople from Windsor, Ontario Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists in fencing Category:Pan American Games fencers for Canada Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada Category:Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games Category:Fencers at the 1983 Pan American Games Category:Canadian male sabre fencers Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen