TORONTO, ON – With the location and financial cost of the event, Athletics Canada says that the organization will not support or send student-athletes to the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games in July and August 2023.
The national team committee, which approves what competitions Athletics Canada sends representative teams to, ratified the decision on Thursday, citing that it could cost between $8000 CAD and $12,000 CAD per athlete to go to the Games, which don’t have financial support from U SPORTS.
U SPORTS International, which manages Team Canada, declined to send a delegation to the Chengdu Games at their initial rescheduled date last summer due to COVID-19 and the far-reaching location but has not determined whether they will send a team this year.
If they do, it won’t include Athletics Canada’s involvement.
Many National Sport Organizations will fund athletes attending the World University Games. Still, the cost was insurmountable for Athletics Canada, as was the far-reaching location of the twice-postponed event in China.
“Athletics Canada does not have the necessary discretionary funding to support this team, nor do we feel it appropriate to pass these significant costs along to athletes,” Athletics Canada said in a release.
Other concerns at the forefront of the decision include the current COVID-19 environment in China and the continued “zero-Covid policy” that has stayed in place despite the country partially opening up in select locations recently.
Positive COVID-19 cases in China still have to isolate within government facilities, and a Government of Canada Travel Advisory currently warns that cases within the country are increasing rapidly.
“More worrisome is that travellers to China should expect entry and exit controls for cities and towns, isolation requirements following travel, and restrictions on freedom of movement,” Athletics Canada added. “Travellers would also be subject to mandatory quarantine in a local government facility following a positive test, with the consulate of Canada having extremely limited ability to intervene.”
U SPORTS International is expected to announce whether they are fielding a team for the Chengdu Games within the coming weeks.
TORONTO, ON – With the location and financial cost of the event, Athletics Canada says that the organization will not support or send student-athletes to the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games in July and August 2023.
The national team committee, which approves what competitions Athletics Canada sends representative teams to, ratified the decision on Thursday, citing that it could cost between $8000 CAD and $12,000 CAD per athlete to go to the Games, which don’t have financial support from U SPORTS.
U SPORTS International, which manages Team Canada, declined to send a delegation to the Chengdu Games at their initial rescheduled date last summer due to COVID-19 and the far-reaching location but has not determined whether they will send a team this year.
If they do, it won’t include Athletics Canada’s involvement.
Many National Sport Organizations will fund athletes attending the World University Games. Still, the cost was insurmountable for Athletics Canada, as was the far-reaching location of the twice-postponed event in China.
“Athletics Canada does not have the necessary discretionary funding to support this team, nor do we feel it appropriate to pass these significant costs along to athletes,” Athletics Canada said in a release.
Other concerns at the forefront of the decision include the current COVID-19 environment in China and the continued “zero-Covid policy” that has stayed in place despite the country partially opening up in select locations recently.
Positive COVID-19 cases in China still have to isolate within government facilities, and a Government of Canada Travel Advisory currently warns that cases within the country are increasing rapidly.
“More worrisome is that travellers to China should expect entry and exit controls for cities and towns, isolation requirements following travel, and restrictions on freedom of movement,” Athletics Canada added. “Travellers would also be subject to mandatory quarantine in a local government facility following a positive test, with the consulate of Canada having extremely limited ability to intervene.”
U SPORTS International is expected to announce whether they are fielding a team for the Chengdu Games within the coming weeks. The last summer FISU World University Games took place in 2019 in Naples, Italy.