The tournament will be held at the recently completed National Indoor Stadium, where the 2008 Paralympic Games wheelchair action will take place.
“Playing at the competition venue will really help in our preparation for the Paralympics. Also, just experiencing the cultural and social aspects of playing in China will be an advantage for our team,” said Tim Frick, coach of Canada’s women’s team.
Canada along with China, Germany and Japan will compete in the women’s division of the tournament.
The Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team has already qualified for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games with its second place finish in August 2007 at the Parapanamerican Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Rio, Canada fell 50-44 to the United States in the finals. Canada is the defending world champion, and won bronze at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games and gold at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.
“Participating in the tournament will be an invaluable experience as the Canadian women’s team strives toward earning another medal at the Paralympic Summer Games,” said Debbie Low, the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s 2008 Beijing Games Chef de Mission. “Our elite-level athletes are bound to inspire and awe us at the upcoming Paralympic games – the premiere multi-sport competition for people with a physical disability.”
The Canadian national men’s team will also be competing at the Good Luck Beijing International Invitational Tournament. The teams in the men’s division are Canada, Australia, China and the Netherlands.
After the Beijing tournament, the women’s team will hold a training camp in Vancouver at Douglas College in New Westminster, BC and at Byrne Creek Secondary School in Burnaby, BC from January 28 to February 10, 2008.
“The chance to do some centralized training in Vancouver afterwards will provide us with the opportunity to work on systems,” stated Frick. “With the support of Pacific Sport, we’ll be able to analyze our needs and then work on improving individually and as a team.”
The Beijing Paralympic Summer Games run from September 6-17, 2008 in China.
Canadian women’s team roster
Players
Chantal Benoit (Beloeil, QC/Mont-Saint-Hilaire, QC)
MJ Bourdrealt (Prince George, BC/Prince George, BC)
Jessica Des Mazes (Kamloops, BC/Burnaby, BC)
Lisa Franks (Moose Jaw, SK/Saskatoon, SK)
Jennifer Krempien (St. Albert, AB/Richmond, BC)
Kendra Ohama (Brooks, AB/Calgary, AB)
Cindy Ouellet (Rivière-du-Loup, QC/Quebec, QC)
Sabrina Pettinicchi (Montreal, QC/Charters Settlement, NB)
Lori Radke (Wetaskiwin, AB/Calgary, AB)
Tara Feser (Edmonton, AB/St. Albert, AB)
Misty Thomas (California, USA/Vancouver, BC)
Alisha Williams (Prince George, BC/Prince George, BC)
Coaches
Tim Frick – Head Coach
Bill Johnson – Assistant Coach
Bruce Enns – Assistant Coach
Jane Labreche – Physiologist
Sheila Forler Bauman – Physiotherapist
Laura Goertz – Massage Therapist
Barb Griffen – Team Manager
