Canada Names Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team

The top 12 women’s Wheelchair Basketball players in Canada were officially selected to compete in London 2012, including Kendra Ohama, Tracey Ferguson and Cindy Ouellet. 15 Jun 2012

Jamey Jewells goes for a shot at the 2011 BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, Great Britain.

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By IPC

“With the outstanding support of key partners such as Sport Canada and Own the Podium a new initiative such as centralization is made possible, which allows us to build a stronger and more complete team.”

Wheelchair Basketball Canada on Thursday (14 June) announced the names of the 12 athletes selected to play on Canada’s women’s Wheelchair Basketball team at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Fourteen athletes were originally named to the preliminary roster following selection camp in January 2012. The final 12-person roster includes 11 returning players from the squad that won silver at the 2011 Parapan American Games, and six of who have Paralympic Games experience.

Calgary’s Kendra Ohama and Holland Landing, Ontario’s Tracey Ferguson are three-time Paralympic Gold medallists who will be competing in their sixth Paralympic Games as part of the team.

Twenty-two-year-old rookie Tamara Steeves of Mississauga, Ontario, was selected to the senior team for the first time, and is the second youngest member of the team.

“Armed with nine returning players from our bronze medal winning 2010 World Championship team, and a good injection of youth, we continue to focus on our elite defensive skills, while capitalizing our offensive presence. All in all, we have a great deal of momentum and confidence heading into London,” head coach Bill Johnson told Wheelchair Basketball Canada.

“With the outstanding support of key partners such as Sport Canada and Own the Podium a new initiative such as centralization is made possible, which allows us to build a stronger and more complete team.”

Canada’s women’s team, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, last medalled at the Paralympics in 2004, when they took home bronze, marking their fourth consecutive Paralympic podium finish that included an unprecedented three consecutive gold medals in 1992, 1996 and 2000.

The team will now be fully centralized at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg as they make final preparations for London 2012.

The 12 women who were named to the team include : Cindy Ouellet, Elaine Allard, Elisha Williams, Katie Harnock, Jamey Jewells, Janet McLachlan, Jessica Vliegenthart, Kendra Ohama, Maude Jacques, Tamara Steeves, Tara Feser and Tracey Ferguson.

The squad will be coached by Bill Johnson, and the two alternates who will remain centralized with the team include Alarissa Haak and Ashley Baerg.