(OTTAWA, ONT.) – Wheelchair Basketball Canada has announced the 12 athletes selected to represent Team Canada at the IWBF Women’s Under-25 World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 3-9, 2023.

The roster features two Senior Women’s National Team members who represented Canada at the IWBF World Championships in captain Puisand Lai (Toronto, Ont.) and Megan Smith (Vancouver, B.C.).

“I am excited to be working with this group of talented young women,” said Marni Abbott-Peter, Women’s U25 Head Coach. “WBC has an excellent, experienced staff, which has been important in preparing this next generation of world-class athletes for the 2023 U25 World Championship. We have wholeheartedly set our sights on the podium at the U25 Worlds in October and are committed to each putting in maximum effort in all areas of our lives to achieve that goal.”

Team Canada will compete in Group B with Germany, Japan, South Africa, and Thailand.

The U25 World Championship is the pinnacle event for junior women’s wheelchair basketball and will feature the largest field in the tournament’s history, with 10 teams participating.

The tournament occurs every four years and debuted in St. Catharines, Ont., in 2011. The 2023 event is the fourth Under-25 Women’s World Championship.

“The group of athletes selected for the Women’s U25 Worlds put us in the best position to succeed,” said Jeff Dunbrack, Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director. “The athletes, coaches and support staff are excited to represent Canada and challenge for a medal in Bangkok.”

Women’s Under-25 Roster: 
Lily Brook—Salmon Arm, B.C.
Charlotte McElroy—Hamilton, Ont.
Megan Smith—Vancouver, B.C.
Katie Bajema—Sturgeon County, Alta.
Puisand Lai—Toronto, Ont.
Mercy Nyakundi—Hamilton, Ont.
Desiree Isaac-Pictou—Ugpi’ganjig First Nation
Bethany Johnson—Winnipeg, Man.
Maggie Manning—Salmon Arm, B.C.
Kayla MacKinnon—Dartmouth, N.S.
Elise Froese—Victoria, B.C.
*Sana Worley—Brampton, Ont.

(*Sana Worley will not travel to Bangkok due to injury)

Coaches
Marni Abbott-Peter (Vancouver, B.C.)— Head Coach
Dylan Carter (Toronto, Ont.)—Assistant Coach
 
Additional Support Staff
Hailey Roll (Mississauga, Ont.)—High Performance Coordinator
Paul Murata (Toronto, Ont.)—Senior Women’s Athletic Therapist
Jesse McNalley (Toronto, Ont.) – Performance Analyst
Jeff Dunbrack (Halifax, N.S.) – High Performance Director

Team photo courtesy Toru Furukawa

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 committed to excellence in developing, supporting, and promoting wheelchair basketball programs and services from grassroots to high performance for all Canadians. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem worldwide for winning a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last eight Paralympic Games. For more information, please visit wheelchairbasketball.ca.

Follow WBC on social media at: Facebook: /wheelchairbasketballcanada Instagram: @wheelchairbasketballcanada Twitter: @WCBballCanada

-30-

For more information, please contact:Dhiren Mahiban
Communications & Digital Media Manager
Wheelchair Basketball Canada 
C: 416-574-6682
dmahiban@wheelchairbasketball.ca