The Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 wheelchair basketball team won first place at the Parapan Am Games in Lima, Peru and the menB次元官网网址檚 team finished in second place. Both teams have secured their spots at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics as the Parapan Am Games are a direct qualifier for the Paralympics and the top three teams move on.
The womenB次元官网网址檚 team fought their way to the gold-medal game where they faced the U.S.A.B次元官网网址檚 wheelchair basketball team. Team Canada defeated their opponents with a score of 67-64. The womenB次元官网网址檚 team didnB次元官网网址檛 lose a game in the entire tournament earning a 5-0 record.
The Parapan Am Games was womenB次元官网网址檚 team member Kady DandeneauB次元官网网址檚 first tournament of the sort. The athlete from Pender Island has only been playing wheelchair basketball for four years but has a background in stand-up basketball.
The final game between Canada and the U.S.A. was very back and forth and neither team had a big advantage, she explained. In the end, Canada won by just three points.
B次元官网网址淚t was a total team achievement,B次元官网网址� said Dandeneau. B次元官网网址淭he whole program gets the credit.B次元官网网址�
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Dandeneau noted that she enjoyed seeing how the sport is coming along in countries where the teams are still developing.
The Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 team has been working hard on their team chemistry and it really paid off, said Dandeneau. She feels the team is in a good place having just come off this big win.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 super excited about the team and about heading into Tokyo,B次元官网网址� said Dandeneau. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympics will be her Paralympic debut B次元官网网址� a fact she said still feels surreal. She noted that itB次元官网网址檚 hard to get really good at wheelchair basketball and that the athletes work just as hard as able-bodied athletes.
B次元官网网址淲heelchair basketball doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the same exposure as able-bodied sports B次元官网网址� but itB次元官网网址檚 really no different,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淧eople are often surprised how competitive and physical it is.B次元官网网址�
Dandeneau also noted that the Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 and menB次元官网网址檚 teams are quite close. The menB次元官网网址檚 team had a practice during the womenB次元官网网址檚 gold-medal game, but caught the last quarter, she said.
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When Victoria athlete, Deion Green was named to the Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 wheelchair basketball team in July, he correctly predicted that the team would play in the gold-medal match. The menB次元官网网址檚 team won all their games in the tournament except for the gold-medal match against the U.S.A. team. The team placed second after losing 43-76. However, by placing second, the Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 team still secured their place at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
This was the Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 teamB次元官网网址檚 second Parapan Am Games silver medal after they placed second in Toronto in 2015. The team then played in the Rio 2016 Paralympics but, according to Green, didnB次元官网网址檛 do well.
Two other players from B.C. also played for the Canadian teams in Lima B次元官网网址� Bo Hedges from Wonowon and Tara Llanes from North Vancouver.
The athletes travelled back to Canada on Tuesday and Dandeneau hoped on the ferry for a quick visit at home on Pender Island before starting her Masters at the University of Illinois. SheB次元官网网址檚 already itching to get back on the court.
Anyone interested in learning more or joining a team can contact the , the or .
devon.bidal@saanichnews.com
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