Former Edmonton Elks CEO to head athlete safety committee after fighter’s death

EDMONTON — Alberta’s sport minister says the former head of the Edmonton Elks football team will lead a committee tasked with improving athlete safety in combative sports.

Joseph Schow says Victor Cui’s extensive experience working with governments to establish combative sport commissions and improve athlete safety will be a vital asset.

Cui, who left Edmonton’s Canadian Football League team in 2023, is also co-founder of ONE Championship, a global martial arts media organization.

Schow’s announcement comes a little more than a week after amateur mixed martial arts fighter Trokon Dousuah died of injuries sustained in a charity fight at a First Nation near Edmonton.

Schow says his ministry takes athlete safety seriously and is working to ensure combative sport participants can safely compete.

He says he plans to meet with sports experts before Christmas to better understand what gaps and opportunities exist.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2024.