OTTAWA, ONT. (July 21, 2025) – Wheelchair Basketball Canada (WBC) is pleased to announce the athletes who will represent Team Canada at the 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships, scheduled to take place from Aug. 1-3, 2025, in Sun City, South Africa.
Hosted by Wheelchair Basketball South Africa, the 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championship is the first-ever 3×3 wheelchair basketball world championship. The tournament celebrates the growth of 3×3 wheelchair basketball and offers smaller nations an opportunity to shine on the global stage.
This is the second 3×3 tournament for Canada’s wheelchair basketball teams. The women won gold and the men took silver at the sport’s debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
“We’re excited to have our athletes showcase the 3×3 game in this milestone event,” said Jeff Dunbrack, Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director. “This event is an excellent opportunity for our athletes to build on the success at the Commonwealth Games.”
The Women’s 3×3 roster includes three returning athletes from Birmingham in Kady Dandeneau, Tamara Steeves and Élodie Tessier. On the men’s side, Vincent Dallaire and Colin Higgins are returning from the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Women’s 3×3 Roster
Kady Dandeneau – Pender Island, B.C.
Puisand Lai – Toronto, Ont.
Tamara Steeves – Mississauga, Ont.
Élodie Tessier – Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que.
Men’s 3×3 Roster:
Vincent Dallaire – Quebec City, Que.
Colin Higgins – Rothesay, N.B.
Lee Melymick – Toronto, Ont.
Garrett Ostepchuk – Regina, Sask.
Coaches:
Matteo Feriani (Padova, Italy) – Men’s Coach
Michele Sung (Milgrove, Ont.) – Women’s Coach
Support Staff:
Nathan Cory (London, Ont.) – Physiotherapist
Jared Sajtos (Saskatoon, Sask.) – Performance Analyst
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada (WBC) 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 six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal over the last nine Paralympic Games. WBC will host the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships from September 9-19, 2026.
For more information on WBC, please visit Wheelchairbasketball.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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Media Contact:
Dhiren Mahiban
Communications & Digital Media Manager
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
C: 416-574-6682
dmahiban@wheelchairbasketball.ca