Wheelchair Basketball Canada has unveiled the rosters for the upcoming world championships in Ottawa, featuring both women’s and men’s teams.
The women’s team will include familiar faces such as Kady Dandeneau, Melanie Hawtin, Puisand Lai, Tara Llanes, Cindy Ouellet, Tamara Steeves, Elodie Tessier, and Arinn Young, who were part of the fourth-place Paralympic squad in 2024. Joining them are Elise Froese, Rosie Long, Mercy Nyakundi, and Bethany Johnson.
Canada, which finished fifth in the 2022 championships, last claimed victory in 2014 when the women’s team secured gold in Toronto.
On the men’s side, seven players from both the Paralympic Games and the 2022 worlds return, including Reed De’Aeth, Nik Goncin, Colin Higgins, Lee Melymick, Tyler Miller, Blaise Mutware, and Garrett Ostepchuk. They will be joined by newcomers Josh Brown, Ibrahim Odza, Kyrell Sopotyk, Lionel Tamoki, and Brandon Louie.
The Canadian men’s team, which placed sixth in the 2022 worlds, last clinched gold in 2006.
The championship is scheduled to take place from September 9 to 19 and will determine the allocation of spots for each zone for the 2028 Paralympic Games.