CIS Appoints Heads of Delegation for 2011 Universiades

OTTAWA – Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced the appointment of Canada’s chefs de mission for the 2011 Universiades.

Beth AliBeth Ali, Associate Director, Athletics and Recreation at Ryerson University, will head the Red & White delegation at the 25th Winter World University Games in Erzurum, Turkey, from January 27 to February 6.

Peter Baxter, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Wilfrid Laurier University, will lead Team Canada at the 26th Summer Games in Shenzhen, China, from August 12 to 23.

“We are extremely pleased to have both Beth and Peter lead and represent the Canadian delegation at the 2011 Universiades,” said Mary MacDonald, CIS Manager of Sports and International Programs. “Their experience, dedication and commitment will help ensure that Canadian student-athletes continue to be enriched by their international experiences.”

Peter BaxterAli and Baxter both had their first taste of the Universiade with Team Canada in 2009. Ali was sport technical manager and a member of the Basketball Technical Committee at the Summer event in Belgrade, Serbia, while Baxter was chef de mission at the winter rendez-vous in Harbin, China.

Ali joined Ryerson in April of 2009 following two years as Associate Director, Athletics at the University of Waterloo (2007-2009) and nine years at the University of Toronto, including a three-year stint as Manager, Intercollegiate Athletics from 2004 to 2007.

In addition to the Belgrade Games, her extensive international experience includes various positions at the Commonwealth (2006, 2002) and Pan American (2003) Games, as well as involvement in field hockey as a coach, team leader or conference presenter at one World Cup (2002), one Indoor World Cup (2007), one World Cup Qualifier (2001) and a pair of Pan Am Cups (2004, 2001).

A former Field Hockey Ontario (2001) and OUA (2005) coach of the year, Ali was Executive Director of Field Hockey Ontario from 1990 to 1998, President of the CIS Field Hockey Coaches Association from 1999 to 2003, Field Hockey Canada Director of High Performance from 2004 to 2007, and an assistant coach with the Canadian women’s national team from 2000 to 2006.

Baxter has been the AD at Laurier since 1998, and previously occupied a similar position at the University of Toronto in Mississauga (1991-98). He currently serves as CIS Vice-President of Marketing and sits on the CIS Board of Directors, and has held many volunteer positions on OUA and CIS committees in the past.

In addition to his chef position in Harbin, Baxter’s international experience includes serving as manager with the Canadian national canoe team, founding and establishing the only Olympic Weightlifting Centre in the Metro Toronto Area, and hosting the 1995 Pan American weightlifting championships. He is also the co-founder of the Ontario Olympic Youth Academy.

The Team Canada staff members who will assist Ali and Baxter at the 2011 Universiades will be announced before the end of June.

Canada claimed six medals at the 2009 Winter Universiade including gold in the first-ever women’s hockey tournament, and reached the podium 15 times at the 2009 Summer Games – all in track and field and swimming – including a pair of first-place finishes, one at the track and one at the pool.

(Source: Michel Bélanger, CIS Manager Communications & Media Relations)