Canada’s best wheelchair basketball players

Canada’s best wheelchair basketball players participating in NWBA tournament in Toronto

****The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) wheelchair basketball game slated to take place at the University of Toronto's Mississauga Campus on Friday, February 1, 2008 at 7 p.m. has been rescheduled due a snowstorm to Saturday, February 2, 2008 beginning at 9:00 a.m.****

TORONTO (January 29, 2008) – The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association (CWBA) will be hosting the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Division I tournament from February, 1-3, 2008 at the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus.

A number of members from the Canadian men’s wheelchair basketball team, having just returned from the Good Luck Beijing International Invitational tournament in Beijing, China will be participating at this event. Canada returned from Beijing with gold, after defeating Australia 55-49 in the final.

The NWBA league, one of the most competitive leagues in North America, features some of the best players in the world, including Canada’s Patrick Anderson who will be competing for Team BC. Teams competing will include Dallas, Milwaukee, British Columbia, and athletes from the national team and development pool, representing Team Canada.

The team will participate in four regular season tournaments, including the NWBA Division 1 competition, prior to attending the finals in Lexington, Kentucky.

Many of the players vying for a spot on Canada’s team that will be heading to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games are participating in the NWBA tournament. Canada’s men’s national basketball team has already qualified for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Summer Games. However, the players named to the team heading to Beijing will be selected at a camp in April.

The Beijing Paralympic Summer Games run from September 6-17, 2008 in China.

Game Schedule

Friday, February 1:
7 pm Dallas vs Canada

Saturday, February 2:
9 am Canada vs Milwaukee
11am BC vs Dallas
2 pm Dallas vs Milwaukee
4 pm BC vs Canada

Sunday, February 3:
9 am Milwaukee vs BC

Canadian men’s team roster
**The first city in brackets is the athlete’s city of birth and the second is his current city of residence.

Players
Abdi Fatah (Somalia, Africa/Scarborough, ON)
Adam Lancia (Scarborough, ON/Scarborough, ON)
Anthony Purcell (Halifax, NS/Halifax, NS)
Bradley Bowden (Mississauga, ON/Orton, ON)
Chad Jassman (Medicine Hat, AB/Calgary AB)
Chris Stoutenburg (Collingwood, ON/Collingwood, ON)
Corey Smith (Ottawa, ON/Nepean, ON)
David Eng (Montreal, QC/Montreal, QC)
Mickael Poulin (Ancienne-Lorrette, QC/Ancienne-Lorrette, QC)
Shayne Dunnet (Fredericton, NB/Fredericton, NB)
John Burns (Guelph, ON/Guelph, ON)
Yvon Rouillard (Montreal, QC/Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, QC)

Coaches
Jerry Tonello, Associate Head Coach
Marc-Antoine Ducharme, Assistant Coach
Jeff Dunbrack, Team Manager

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) is a non-profit, charitable, private organization that is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The CPC delivers programs that strengthen the Paralympic Movement in Canada, including sending Canadian teams to the Paralympic Games. The CPC empowers persons with physical disabilities, through sport, at all levels. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

About the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association
The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association (CWBA) is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of wheelchair basketball in Canada. The CWBA is committed to sport excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians. It is committed to providing opportunities for athletes with a disability to participate in a fully integrated sport program at the level they choose. It promotes growth at the initiation, developmental, competitive and elite levels, and offers programs for youth, women and men.

For more information: Jeff Dunbrack, Canadian team high performance coordinator, at 613-260-1296, ext. 202, jeff@cwba.ca or Norma Reveler, Canadian Paralympic Committee media relations, at 613-569-4333, ext. 227, norma@paralympic.ca

www.paralympic.ca