(Ottawa, Ont.) Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased to appoint Stephen Bialowas as the head coach of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team. He takes over head coaching duties on a full-time basis after being appointed to an interim role in the spring of 2015.
Bialowas, a resident of Richmond Hill, Ont., will be at the helm as Team Canada prepares to defend its gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Summer Games.
“It is an honour and privilege to be the head coach of Team Canada,” said Bialowas. “We have assembled an outstanding group of Paralympic hopefuls in our preparations towards Rio in 2016. With the support of our athletes and staff I hope to continue to add to the great legacy of success achieved by Team Canada in the past.”
“Steve is a tremendous leader and a great teacher of the game,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director Mike Frogley. “He has done great work with the team in just a few short months and we know he will continue to drive that momentum forward as we strive for Paralympic excellence in Rio.”
Bialowas recently led the Canadian men to a 5-1 record and a silver medal performance on home soil as the team secured a Paralympic berth at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games in August.
Bialowas previously coached the Canadian Men’s U23 National Team, and was behind the bench at two junior world championships in 2005 and 2013.
He began coaching in Canada’s high performance program in 2001. As an assistant that year he helped the Canadian Men’s U23 National Team to their second consecutive gold medal. Also as an assistant, he helped coach the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team to a world championship title in 2002, and a bronze medal at the Paralympic Games in 2004.
About Team Canada
The Senior Men’s National Team is the defending Paralympic champion and has reached the podium at four consecutive Paralympic Games, winning gold medals in 2000, 2004 and 2012, and a silver medal in 2008. The team has also medalled at six of the past eight world championships.
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is committed to excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians from grassroots to high performance. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem around the world for winning a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last six Paralympic Games.