When it comes to sport, it’s normally the major ones that attract the attention of the media, regardless of the Country and ironically this sport has been given little or no promotion.
Why – one only has to ask and quite simply it’s the fact that in Canada it’s the time of the year where we are mainly focused on the NHL rather than minor sports.
FISA or better known as the International University Sports Federation was founded in 1949 and it’s main accountability it the overall administration of the Summer and Winter Universiade as well as the World University Championships.
FISU supports all competitions which represent the continuity of university sport and allow the federation to be better known around the world.
In 2010 they (FISU) organized 27 World University Championships that involved 6,000 participants from a total of 105 countries.
We now hear that Canada will be represented by 15 student-athletes at the 12th FISU world university wrestling championship held October 25th-30th in Corum, Turkey.
Team Canada’s is headed by two exceptional participants and both Samantha Stewart (London, Ont.) and New Brunswick’s Alyssa Cleaves have set their sights set on returning with medals.
Stewart is a two-time U Sports wrestling champion having won Bronze (2014) at the World University 
Championship (55 Kg) while Cleaves grabbed Gold (48 Kg) at the 2016 CIS Championship en route to being named women’s outstanding wrestler.
In addition Simon Fraser’s Justina Di Stacio took home Silver (2015 Pan Am Games) in Toronto and Western’s Steven Takahashi managed to grab Bronze (2011 Games) in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Takahashi was also a representative for Canada at 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan as well as Concordia’s Jordan Steen, who calls Russia home.
Over half the roster is from National Team Athletes, plus three members are from the current reigning U Sport Champion Brock Badgers.
Canada won a (combined) eight (8) medals at the 2014 world university championship and 2013 Universiade. President of Wrestling Canada, and head coach of the UNB wrestling team, Don Ryan, will act as Team Leader while in Turkey.
He is assisted by David McKay (two-time Olympian – 1984, 1988), plus the 2008 Olympian and Concordia Assistant Coach David Zilberman in addition to Western University assistant David Spinney.
Rick Lau rounds out the group as the team’s medical staff.
The Canadian list of those attending is below:
Name University Hometown Academics
Brianne Barry York London, Ont. Economics
Jessica Brouillette Brock North York, Ont. Sociology
Allyssa Cleaves UNB Sault Ste Marie, Ont. Civil Engineering
Justina Di Stacio Simon Fraser Burnaby, B.C. English
Veronica Keefe Concordia Summerside, P.E.I. Arts & Science
Linda Morais Concordia Windsor, Ont. Arts & Science
Emily Schaefer Brock Sarnia, Ont. Math & Science
Samantha Stewart UNB London, Ont. Education
Jevon Balfour Brock Scarborough, Ont. Arts
Amarveer Dhesi Oregon State Surrey, B.C. Sociology
Jordan Steen Concordia Montreal, Que. Arts & Science
Steven Takahashi Western London, Ont. Health Science
Dillon Williams Durham College Mississauga, Ont. Fire Fighting
Caleb Rutner Western Winnipeg, Man. History
Alexander Thoms UNB Lake Charlotte, N.S. Kinesiology
Team Leader: Don Ryan (UNB/Wrestling Canada)
Coaches: David Zilberman (Concordia University), David Spinney (Western University), David McKay
Medical Staff: Rick Lau
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