Wheelchair Basketball Canada has unveiled the lineups for its women’s and men’s teams set to compete at the upcoming world championships in Ottawa. The women’s team will see a mix of experienced players, including Kady Dandeneau, Melanie Hawtin, Puisand Lai, Tara Llanes, Cindy Ouellet, Tamara Steeves, Elodie Tessier, and Arinn Young, who all participated in the fourth-place Paralympic team in 2024. Joining them are Elise Froese, Rosie Long, Mercy Nyakundi, and Bethany Johnson.
Canada secured fifth place at the 2022 championships, with their last podium finish dating back to 2014 when the women clinched gold in Toronto.
In the men’s category, seven players return from both the Paralympic Games and the 2022 worlds, namely Reed De’Aeth, Nik Goncin, Colin Higgins, Lee Melymick, Tyler Miller, Blaise Mutware, and Garrett Ostepchuk. They will be joined by Josh Brown, Ibrahim Odza, Kyrell Sopotyk, Lionel Tamoki, and Brandon Louie.
The Canadian men’s team, which finished sixth at the 2022 worlds, last claimed gold in 2006.
The world championships are scheduled from Sept. 9-19 and will determine the allocation of spots each zone will receive for the 2028 Paralympic Games.