General

UOIT Ridgebacks Media Release

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

UOIT adds badminton as a varsity sports program

OSHAWA, Ont. - University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) athletics is excited to introduce badminton as a varsity sport for the 2016-17 season. Student-athletes at UOIT will represent the Ridgebacks in invitationals on the University badminton circuit leading into the OUA and Badminton Canada University/College Championships.

"When speaking to students across campus, it was evident that there was a demand to make badminton a part of our varsity sports programming on campus," said Scott Barker, manager of athletics. "The intramural program is very popular and the sport is highly competitive across the Durham Region, making it the ideal choice for our next varsity sport."

To lead the program, Barker announced that Wayne King has accepted the position as head coach.

"Wayne's experience in the sport is second to none," said Barker. "He brings a wealth of experience from the club and university side of coaching and his strong leadership abilities and proven track record made him an ideal selection."

King is well-known throughout the OUA having coached the Toronto Varsity Blues for 17 seasons. He was named OUA coach of the year six times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2013) while Toronto won the overall team title in 2003 and 2013.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime for any badminton coach and I am truly excited to join the UOIT program," said King. "We have hosted many tournaments and clinics at Durham College and UOIT since the 1980's because of the outstanding court facilities but during that time I have come to know the excellent leadership of the athletic program along with the hard-working support staff of the facility. My hope is to build a badminton program known for excellence on court, student leadership within the university and team involvement within the Durham community."

He also received Ontario badminton's highest honour, the Keith Hollands award, twice in 1998 and in 2012 for his contribution and development of badminton in the province. He is the only two-time recipient of the award. He has earned Ontario Badminton Association (OBA) coach of the year award three times.

King has also been the head coach at the Harwood Phoenix Junior Badminton Club out of Ajax since 1972 (44 seasons) and was the head coach of the Ajax High School Rams varsity team beginning 1986. He is very familiar with the campus having run the summer sports camps for a number of years. His programs at all levels of the sport have been focused on improvement both athletically and academically.

Harwood has produced two Canadian junior champions Heather Van Patter (U16GD - 1987; U16 GD - 1989; U16XD - 1989) and Nathaniel Allard (U16BD -2001) along with numerous provincial champions while Ajax High School has been one of two Durham schools to have ever produced an OFSAA gold medal badminton champion (four occasions: Jamie Gardner/Ross Smith - BD 1988, Tony Chan/Vikas Mohindra - BD 2001, Nathaniel Allard - BS 2003, BS 2004).

He has served as head coach for Central Ontario at the Ontario Winter Games (three times), head coach for Ontario at the Canada Winter Games (1991) and exchange coach for the 1987 Ontario-Jiangsu Sports Exchange.

With the additional of badminton, the tennis varsity program will no longer be offered after ten seasons at UOIT. Tennis was one of the original varsity sports offered by the University.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Scott Dennis

Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator

Durham College and UOIT Athletics

905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)

905.721.3117 (F)