“The recent death of Trokon Dousuah following a combative sport competition in our province is tragic. Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and community.

“We take athlete safety seriously, and we’re taking steps to ensure that combative sport participants can safely compete in the sports that they love. The public fatality inquiry into the death of Timothy Hague, who passed as a result of injuries sustained while competing in 2017, was published on Nov. 5, including recommendations on how to increase athlete safety in combative sports. I’m grateful to the Honourable Justice Sharpe for her work on this file, and we are carefully reviewing the recommendations outlined in the report.

“Right now, Alberta is the only province where combative sports are sanctioned by municipal governments. As we review the recommendations and engage with our partners, we will also look at what steps would need to be taken to establish a provincial combative sport commission in Alberta.

“I’ll be meeting with Alberta’s existing municipal combative sport commissions to better understand what gaps and opportunities exist, with the first meeting scheduled to take place before Christmas.

“I’m pleased to announce that Victor Cui, an experienced global sport executive in combat sports, will lead the engagement. Victor has served as the CEO of the Edmonton Elks and is the co-founder of ONE Championship, a global martial arts media organization. Victor’s extensive experience working with governments around the world, helping establish combative sport commissions and improve athlete safety, will be a vital asset in this work.

“Everyone should be able to compete fairly and safely in the sports they love. In the coming months, our government will work closely with provincial and municipal partners to determine next steps in enhancing the safety of Alberta’s athletes.”

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