(Edmonton, Alta.) A group of Canada Games hopefuls representing Team Alberta will highlight the athleticism and inclusivity of wheelchair basketball when they participate in a demonstration game against W.P. Wagner High School’s Senior Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams on March 14th in Edmonton. Members of the media are invited to participate in the event and get the opportunity to meet some of the local athletes that will compete in the 2014 Junior Wheelchair Basketball National Championship taking place at the Saville Centre March March 28-30th. The tournament serves as the seeding tournament for the 2015 Canada Games.
Media and spectators will see local athletes, with and without disabilities, showcasing why wheelchair basketball is amongst the most popular and inclusive sports featured at the Canada Games; a gateway for future Olympians and Paralympians.
What: Wheelchair Basketball Demo Game
- Team Alberta (Wheelchair Basketball) vs the W. P. Wagner Sr. Men & Women’s Basketball Team(s)
Who:
- Local athletes Ben Tumack and Jonathon Bilan (who are both students at W.P. Wagner), as well as other Team Alberta members
- Team Alberta head coach Darrell Nordell (an assistant coach with the London 2012 gold medal winning Sr. Men’s Team)
When: Friday March 14, 2014
- Demo game starting at 11:40 a.m. MST
- Athlete interview availability afterwards
Where: W.P. Wagner High School – 6310 Wagner Road NW, Edmonton
Media Information: please contact Terri Tumack, President, Alberta Northern Lights at terri@albertanorthernlights.com or (ph.): 780-984-2931 to confirm attendance.
About Team Alberta
Team Alberta won gold the first time wheelchair basketball was featured at the Canada Games in 1995. Most recently they were the youngest team to compete at the 2011 Canada Games were they finished eighth. Former program athletes including Chad Jassman and Tara Feser, as well as Ross Norton and Karla Tritten (now assistant coaches with Team Alberta) have gone on to win Paralympic and World Championship gold medals with the Senior National Teams.
About the Alberta Northern Lights Wheelchair Basketball Society
(ANL) is a registered charity that provides wheelchair basketball programming and HiLights school programs to Northern and Central Alberta. Founded in 1976, the Alberta Northern Lights have been world leaders in the development of wheelchair basketball and its athletes – both at the recreational and elite levels.