Soccer-Former Olympian Crooks named acting Canada Soccer president

FILE PHOTO: General Sport - Beyond Sport United Conference - Yankee Stadium - 27/9/11 Former Canadian Olympian and President and Founder of NGU Consultants Charmaine Crooks at Beyond Sport United Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Michael Simon

(Reuters) - Former Olympic athlete Charmaine Crooks was named acting president of Canada Soccer on Wednesday as the embattled governing body looks to navigate a labour dispute with its men's and women's national teams.

Crooks, 60, is the first woman and person of colour to lead Canada Soccer after serving as vice president for two years. She will take over from Nick Bontis, who resigned on Monday.

The Canadian women's team, the reigning Olympic champions, recently escalated their protest over pay equity issues when they wore purple shirts that read "Enough is enough" ahead of their opening match of the SheBelievesCup in February.

"The job ahead for our organisations, our sport, and for the players who wear our Canadian jersey, is as important to me as any race I've competed in," Crooks said in a statement.

"I know and understand the calls to get this right, and I am certain that we will be able to deliver real progress for our national teams all the way on down to our grassroots."

Crooks competed in five Olympics and won a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games as a member of the women's 4x400 metres relay team.

Kelly Brown, a member of Canada Soccer's board of directors, was named acting vice president.

(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)