2011 SU Update: Chef de Mission Martin Roberts returns to lead Australian Team

Aussie Head of Delegation Martin Roberts

QUEENSLAND – Commonwealth Games medallist and Olympian Martin Roberts will again undertake the role of Chef de Mission for the Australian team, this time at the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China. 

Mr Roberts’ experience as 2009 Chef de Mission at the Summer Universiade in Serbia, coupled with his high level of sports administration and management skills, and previous experiences as a top level athlete provide an excellent foundation for Martin to lead the team to what Australian University Sport (AUS) hopes will be its most successful Universiade.

“Martin is the obvious choice as Chef de Mission for the Australian team.  He undertook this role for us in 2009, where we returned with our most successful team ever.  His experience and expertise is highly valued by the athletes, and we have no doubt that he will play a large part in what we hope will be a successful campaign in 2011,” said AUS Chief Executive Officer Donald Knapp.

AUS is looking to build on the successes of 2009 by bringing together a team of over 200 athletes and officials in what will be the largest ever team sent by Australia to a Universiade. 

“We have enjoyed a couple of very good years with some outstanding athletes representing Australia at Universiades and World University Championships.  We hope that this will continue in 2011 and in the coming months will be undertaking the selection of athletes,” Mr Knapp added.

Mr Roberts is looking forward to returning to the role of Chef de Mission in 2011.  “The athletes coming through the university system at the moment are absolutely fantastic, and some will go on to become world champions in their sport.  It is very exciting to be involved with the team, and to play a part in their development as high quality people and world class athletes,” Mr Roberts said. 

(Source: Sarah Wordsworth, AUS Media & Marketing Coordinator)