U SPORTS names Team Canada roster for 2026 FISU World University Championship Combat Sports

U SPORTS, in conjunction with Wrestling Canada Lutte, Ju-Jitsu Canada and Wushu Canada, has announced the Team Canada roster for the 2026 FISU World University Championship Combat Sports, set for June 8-13 in Brasilia, Brazil. The Combat Sports championship is a combined event, and Canada will compete in three of the five disciplines: wrestling, jiu-jitsu and Wushu.

Championships website

Canada previously won a pair of bronze medals at the 2022 FISU University World Cup in Combat Sports, with Ottawa's Karim Ghaly and Simon Fraser's Claudia Laos Loo both finishing third in karate individual kata. 

Wrestling

Canada will send 20 athletes, a representative in all of the 10 men’s and 10 women’s weight classes.   

“We are proud to announce the athletes who will represent Canada at the 2026 FISU World University Combat Championships. This event provides an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes to compete internationally while proudly representing both their country and their universities,” said Tamara Medwidsky, WCL CEO. “Competing in a multi-sport environment also gives these athletes valuable experience against high-level international competition, helping prepare them for future success on the world stage. We look forward to seeing this talented group showcase the strength and depth of Canadian wrestling.”  

“We are please to see so many of our top student-athletes selected to wear the maple leaf at the 2026 FISU World University Combat Championships,” said Jennifer Smart, U SPORTS Director of Sport  “The depth of talent on this team—from returning national champions to rising international medalists—is a true testament to the strength of university wrestling in Canada. We know they will compete with heart, intelligence, and the unwavering spirit that defines our programs and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish in Brasilia.”

The women’s side features numerous international medalists at both the continental and world level. The group includes 2024 World U23 silver medalist Serena Di Benedetto. Di Benedetto, from Stoney Creek, Ontario and McMaster University, will compete at 53kg. In addition to her world medal, she is also a multiple-time national champion at various age levels. Earlier this year, she represented Canada at the Senior Pan-American (Pan-Am) Championship and came home with a silver. She will look to carry that momentum into the FISU Championships.   

On the men’s side, a name to watch will be Tejvir Dhinsa. The Abbotsford native and Simon Fraser University student is a two-time past Pan-Am Championships silver medalist, earning back-to-back medals at the U20 level in 2024 and 2025. He also won a bronze as a U17 in 2022. Dhinsa recently won the 2026 U20 national title, in May, at the Canadian Wrestling Championships in Montreal. Now, he will look to transition his national and Pan-Am success into a medal in Brazil.

Canada has earned 55 medals in wrestling at the World University Championships since 2000, including 18 gold, 16 silver and 21 bronze.

2026 FISU World University Combat Championships Wrestling Team 

 Joining the team will be the coaching and support staff. The event coaches will be Heather Sweezey (Brock) and Jevon Balfour (McMaster). The team physiotherapist will be Max Hanna. Marcia Chiasson will represent Canada as an official.  

For complete tournament information visit the tournament site.  

Jiu-Jitsu

In Jiu-Jitsu, Canada will send two athletes: Gabriel Sementilli and David Frederick McGinley-Reynal.  

Sementilli is a Brock University student from Windsor, Ont., who will compete in the men’s under 56 kg, blue belt category. Sementilli wrestled with the Badgers from 2021-25 and competed in the 2023 and 2024 U SPORTS championships. 

McGinley-Reynal, a New Orleans product who studies at Toronto Metropolitan University, will compete in the men’s under 85 kg, blue belt category. 

They will be accompanied by team officials Shervin Akhlaghi of Toronto and Madison Stewart of Richmond Hill, Ont.

Jiu-jitsu competition will be held from June 10-13.

Wushu

Canada will send a six-person squad to compete in Wushu, comprised of three men and three women. The squad is led by Brandon Luo from the University of Alberta, who was the No. 1-ranked male Wushu athlete in Canada in 2025, and Grace Wiebe of Victoria, who represented Canada at the 2023 World Wushu Championship.

Wushu competition will take place from June 10-13.

Canada won a bronze medal at the 2018 World University Championhip in Wushu, with MacEwan's Johnny Choi placing third in the Sanda 70 kg event. 

Women’s team:

Men’s team:

Staff:

Team official: Connie Wiebe

Coach, Sanda: Isuru Polgampalage 

Coach, Taolu: Wai Kin yeap