Our History

The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association (CWBA) was founded in 1994, becoming an independent organization solely responsible for the sport of wheelchair basketball. The formation of the CWBA brightened the future of wheelchair basketball development in Canada and further cemented the country’s ongoing rich tradition of success on the international stage. In 2009, the organization adopted the name Wheelchair Basketball Canada to go along with a new brand identity. Wheelchair Basketball Canada celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2014 as it continues to position itself as a model organization and world leader in the sport of wheelchair basketball.

Historical Highlights

  • 1967 – Canada participates in the first Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba;
  • 1968 – The Canadian Men’s National Team competes for the first time at the Paralympic Games in Tel Aviv, Israel;
  • 1972 – The Canadian Women’s National Team competes for the first time at the Paralympic Games in Heidelberg, Germany;
  • 1979 – The first National Wheelchair Basketball Championships were held independent of the typical multi-sport games for athletes with disabilities;
  • 1983 – Canada hosts the Men’s World Championship in Halifax, Nova Scotia;
  • 1986 – The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) is founded;
  • 1990 – The Canadian Women’s National Team begins its dominance at the major international level by winning a bronze medal at world championship. The team remained unbeaten internationally for more than a decade after winning gold medals at the 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002 World Championships and Paralympic Games;
  • 1992 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins its first gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain;
  • 1994 – The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association (CWBA) is incorporated;
  • 1994 – Canada successfully hosts the Men’s World Championship in Edmonton, Alberta;
  • 1994 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins its first gold medal at the World Championship in Stoke Mandeville, England;
  • 1995 – The inaugural CWBA Hall of Fame Program was introduced at the National Championships in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan;
  • 1995 – Wheelchair Basketball was included as an official sport in the Canada Games;
  • 1996 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins the gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, United States;
  • 1997 – Canada hosts the first Men’s U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto, Ontario, where the Canadian team earned gold;
  • 1998 – CWBA becomes the first National Sporting Organization (NSO) in Canada to launch a website;
  • 1998 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins gold at the World Championship in Sydney, Australia;
  • 2000 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins an unprecedented third consecutive Paralympic gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia;
  • 2000 – The Canadian Men’s National Team wins its first gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia;
  • 2002 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins gold at the World Championship in Kitakyushu, Japan;
  • 2004 – CWBA celebrates its 10th anniversary;
  • 2004 – The Canadian Men’s National Team wins the gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece;
  • 2004 – The Canadian Men’s National Team is named the Team of the Year at the Canadian Sport Awards and the International Paralympic Committee’s Male Team of the Year;
  • 2004 – The Canadian Women’s National Team wins the bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece;
  • 2005 – Full-time head coaches for the Canadian Men and Women’s National Teams secured;
  • 2006 – The Canadian Women’s National Team won its fourth consecutive gold medal at the World Championship in Amsterdam, the Netherlands;
  • 2006 – The Canadian Men’s National Team captured its first ever gold medal at the World Championship in Amsterdam, the Netherlands;
  • 2008 – The Canadian Men’s National Team wins silver at the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China;
  • 2009 – Wheelchair Basketball Canada launches its new brand and website;
  • 2009 – Canada hosts the Americas Cup in Richmond, British Columbia;
  • 2011 – Canada successfully hosts the inaugural Women’s U25 World Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario;
  • 2012 – The Canadian Men’s National Team wins the gold medal at the Paralympic Games in London, England;
  • 2013 – Wheelchair Basketball Canada launches its groundbreaking National Academy in Toronto, Ontario;
  • 2014 – Wheelchair Basketball Canada celebrates its 20th anniversary;
  • 2014 – Canada successfully hosts the Women’s World Championship in Toronto, Ontario where the Canadian Women’s National Team wins the gold medal.

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