Wheelchair Basketball Canada – (March 14, 2017 – OTTAWA, ONT.) Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased to appoint Matteo Feriani as the head coach of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team.
 
He takes on the head coaching duties as the Canadian men work towards a top-four finish at the America’s Cup world championship qualifier in Cali, Colombia in August.
 
Feriani, a native of Padua, Italy, has dedicated his coaching career to working with wheelchair basketball athletes. Throughout his 18 years of experience he has served as an assistant coach with national team programs from Italy, Australia and Brazil, as well as a head coach with various European and Australian professional club teams.
 
“I am very excited about this opportunity with Team Canada and thrilled to be the head coach of a national team,” said Feriani. “It is an honour to be at the helm of such a distinguished high performance wheelchair basketball program and I am looking forward to working with such a talented group of athletes, coaches and staff as we push to qualify for the world championship in 2018.”
 
“Matteo has a unique understanding of the technical needs and requirements of high performance wheelchair basketball athletes and as a highly regarded coach he has proven his ability to deliver high performance results,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada Executive Director Wendy Gittens. “Canada is focused on developing the very best wheelchair basketball athletes in the world and we are confident in Matteo’s ability to steer our senior men toward success.”
 
Feriani began his national team coaching career with the Italian senior men’s and women’s programs, before moving on as an assistant coach with the Australian Senior Men’s National Team. Notably, he helped coach the Australian men to a silver medal performance at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where the Aussies fell in the final to the rival Canadians, as well as to a gold medal at the world championship in 2010.
 
He most recently was an assistant coach with the Brazilian Senior Men’s National Team, helping the team to a fifth place finish at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and a fourth place finish at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.
 
About Team Canada
 
The Senior Men’s National Team is one of the most highly respected wheelchair basketball programs in the world. Team Canada reached the podium at four consecutive Paralympic Games from 2000-2012, winning gold medals in 2000, 2004 and 2012, and a silver medal in 2008. The team has also medalled at six of the past eight world championships.
 
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
 
Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sport governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization that is committed to excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians from grassroots to high performance. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem around the world for winning a combined six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the last seven Paralympic Games. For more information, visit www.wheelchairbasketball.ca.

Media contacts:
 
Courtney Pollock
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
T: 613-260-1296 ext. 203
cpollock@wheelchairbasketball.ca

Lindsay Crone
Coordinator, Communications
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
T: 613-260-1296 ext. 205
lcrone@wheelchairbasketball.ca