(Ottawa, Ont.) Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased to name the 12 athletes that will represent Canada at the 2013 World Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championship taking place in Adana, Turkey September 5-15, 2013.

Team Canada earned a berth into the World Championship by winning the Americas Zone qualifier back in March 2013 in Mexico City, defeating host Mexico 74-67 in the final game. Canada will be one of 11 confirmed teams competing for the world title, along with Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, and host Turkey.

“I am particularly excited by the depth of our juniors across the country with athletes representing seven provinces and territories from coast to coast. Through continued hard work these young men will make an ongoing impact within our national team program for years to come,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director Paul Zachau.

First up, the newly assembled team will centralize July 22-Aug. 9 at the University of Toronto Scarborough to train for the upcoming world championship.

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 junior men are: (athletes’ city of residence indicated / returning players from the 2009 team denoted with a *):

Aidan Love (Whitehorse, Y.T.)
Jack Kosterman (Fort Langley, B.C.)
Jeremy Watts (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Joel Watts (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
Jonathan Vermette (Sherbrooke, Que.) *
Kevin Wakeling (Cambridge, Ont.)
Liam Hickey (St. John’s, N.L.)
Mitchel Bossaer (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Nikola Goncin (Regina, Sask.) *
Philippe Vermette (Sherbrooke, Que.) *
Reid Richard (Regina, Sask.)
Vincent Dallaire (Quebec City, Que.)

Head Coach: Stephen Bialowas (Toronto, Ont.)

Alternates:

Alexandre Courcelles (Saint-Roch Ouest, Que.)
Josh Davies (London, Ont.)
Justin Johnson (Milner, B.C.)

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.