The University of Victoria athletic program prides itself on the number of internationals it has produced, up to the Olympics. A key stepping along the way has been the World University Games, an opportunity that will be denied the current roster of Canadian varsity athletes as world politics and the health situation have caught up with university sports.
U Sports, the national governing body, announced it will not be sending a team to the 2022 World University Games this summer in Chengdu, China.
“We understand and support the U Sports position on this,” said UVic athletic director Clint Hamilton.
“It could not have been taken lightly.”
Hamilton acknowledged the importance of the World University Games to varsity athletes. It has been a path to the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Games and world championships. For varsity athletes who don’t make it to higher levels, it is their Olympics.
“We have a proud history in the World University Games and a number of Vikes athletes have benefitted from the opportunity of having competed in them,” said Hamilton.
“We will return to them when the time is right.”
U Sports made the announcement Monday.
“sa国际传媒 is a proud FISU [world governing body] member, but U Sports is not prepared to send a delegation to this summer’s World University Games in Chengdu, China,” U Sports interim CEO Dick White said in a statement.
“We have consulted national sports organizations and universities to assess scheduling, financial and the health and safety implications of participation in the Games and determined that it was in sa国际传媒’s best interest to withdraw at this time.”
U Sports added that it “wishes the Chengdu host committee great success” and confirmed U Sports will participate in the 2023 World University Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY.
