(OTTAWA, ONT.) — Twelve athletes have been selected to the Senior Women’s National Team for the 2024 IWBF Repechage Tournament in Osaka, Japan, Wheelchair Basketball Canada announced on Thursday.

“We are confident these 12 athletes, a group with championship experience, veteran leadership, character and youth, will succeed in Osaka,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada High Performance Director Jeff Dunbrack. “Our group will look to build off the preparation that has been put forward, and we believe this team is in a position to earn Paris qualification in Japan.”

The Repechage Tournament will take place at the Asue Arena in Osaka from April 17-20, 2024. The eight-team tournament is the final opportunity for teams who did not qualify for the Paris Games through their zone qualifier to earn a spot at the Paralympic Games.

The competition will consist of two groups establishing rankings for crossover matches. Team Canada will play in Group B against Spain, France and Japan.

The knockout stage will unveil the four teams that earn a berth in the 2024 Paralympic Games.

Senior Women’s National Team Roster

Kady Dandeneau (Pender Island, B.C.)
Sofia Fassi-Fehri (Montreal, Que.)
Melanie Hawtin (Oakville, Ont.)
Bethany Johnson (Winnipeg, Man.)
Puisand Lai (Toronto, Ont.)
Rosalie Lalonde (Saint-Clet, Que.)
Tara Llanes (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Cindy Ouellet (Quebec City, Que.)
Desiree Isaac-Pictou (Eel River Bar First Nation, N.B.)
Tamara Steeves (Mississauga, Ont.)
Élodie Tessier (Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que.)
Arinn Young (Legal, Alta.)

Coaches

Michèle Sung (Milgrove, Ont.)— Head Coach
Dylan Carter (Toronto, Ont.)—Assistant Coach

Additional Support Staff

Hailey Roll (Mississauga, Ont.)—High Performance Coordinator
Lindsay Bedard (Winnipeg, Man.) – Mental Health Lead
Paul Murata (Toronto, Ont.)—Senior Women’s Athletic Therapist
Colby Hathaway (Four Falls, N.B.) – Strength & Conditioning Coach
Jeff Dunbrack (Halifax, N.S.) – High Performance Director

Team Canada’s IWBF Repechage Tournament schedule (all times eastern)

April 17 – Japan vs Canada – 2:00 a.m.
April 17 – Spain vs Canada – 11:45 p.m. 
April 18 – Canada vs France – 11:45 p.m. 
April 19/20 – TBD

All games will be streamed on the IWBF YouTube channel.
 
For more information including the complete IWBF Repechage Tournament schedule visit the WBC event page.

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 seven Paralympic Games. For more information, please visit wheelchairbasketball.ca.

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

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For more information, please contact:

Dhiren Mahiban
Communications & Digital Media Manager
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
C: 416-574-6682
dmahiban@wheelchairbasketball.ca