UOW sports administrator to lead Australian team

Dec 19, 2006

University of Wollongong (UOW) sports administrator Paul Manning will lead the Australian team to the World University Sport’s premier event when he acts as the Chef de Mission for Australia at the 2007 World University Games from 8-18 August.

It will be Mr Manning’s third appointment as “head of mission” having been selected to lead teams to the 1999 and 2001 events which are often referred to as Universiade.

The Australian Sport Commission (ASC) has agreed to again be a major sponsor of the event to partially fund the entire team of 160 athletes and officials to Bangkok.

While the ASC contribute almost a third of this total, athletes must fund the rest, and this will mean local UOW student athletes such as 2003 and 2005 Universiade athlete Wollongong Hawks basketballer, John Philip, must pay their own money to attend, Mr Manning said.

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Operations), Professor John Patterson said the University was excited that senior managers were recognised nationally and internationally for their expertise confirming UOW’s standing as one of the elite universities in the country.

He said the World University Games was the pinnacle for university sports athletes and officials and was widely regarded globally as second only to the Olympics in terms of the numbers and standard of athlete that attends the multi-sport event.

“It is an honour to be selected again for this role, but the challenges of sending a world class team in the first year of voluntary student unionism will prove difficult to overcome.

“Assisting elite student athletes across Australia attend events like this allows me to showcase the expertise I have developed here at UOW and assist in forging a long-term international reputation for the University,” Mr Manning said.

He said local UOW athletes would certainly benefit from the Games due to Federal Government funding for regional university athletes.

“I would encourage all regional students to nominate for the Games, as they stand to receive up to $2,000 of the cost. Former UOW athletes such as John Philip, and 2003 Universiade 3,000m gold medallist Eloise Wellings (nee Poppett) who in the past have been supported by UOW funding, will now be assisted by AUS from a pool of funds from the ASC specifically for regional university elite athletes,” Mr Manning said.