(Ottawa, ON) Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased to name the 12 athletes that will represent Canada at the 2013 World Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championship Americas Zone Qualification Tournament taking place at the Paralympic Training Centre in Mexico City March 11-17, 2013.
Canada will be one of five teams (Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela) competing for two available berths into the Men’s U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championship, which is set for September 12-22, 2013 in Adana, Turkey.
“We have assembled an outstanding group of young men who possess unbelievable character, determination, and a relentless drive to succeed.”
“We have assembled an outstanding group of young men who possess unbelievable character, determination, and a relentless drive to succeed. These are the attributes which will determine our success in the year to come,” said Team Canada U23 Men’s Head Coach Stephen Bialowas.
First up, the newly assembled team will be holding a training camp in Champaign, Illinois and playing a series of friendly games against the University of Illinois men’s and women’s collegiate wheelchair basketball teams at Huff Hall February 22-24, 2013.
The 2013 Canadian roster includes three returning players from the team that placed eighth at the last Junior Men’s World Championship in 2009.
The 12 athletes named to the team are:
(athletes’ city of residence indicated / returning players from the 2009 team denoted with a *)
- Alexandre Courcelles (Saint-Roch-Ouest, Que.)
- Eric Voss (St. Marys, Ont.)
- Jeremy Watts (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
- Joel Watts (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
- Jonathan Vermette (Sherbrooke, Que.) *
- Justin Johnson (Langley, B.C.)
- Kevin Wakeling (Cambridge, Ont.)
- Mitchel Bossaer (Saskatoon, Sask.)
- Nik Goncin (Regina, Sask.) *
- Philippe Vermette (Sherbrooke, Que.) *
- Reid Richard (Regina, Sask.)
- Vincent Dallaire (Quebec City, Que.)
Head Coach: Stephen Bialowas (Toronto, Ont.)
About Team Canada
The Canadian Junior Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team consists of the top male athletes under 23-years-of-age from across the Country. They are assembled with the ultimate goal of competing in, and winning the U23 Men’s World Championships, which are held every four years. Canada hosted the inaugural tournament in 1997 and won back-to-back World Championships in 1997 and 2001.