Basketball en fauteuil roulant Canada has officially announced its 24-athlete roster ahead of the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, scheduled to take place from September 9 to 19, 2026, in Ottawa, Ontario, according to official governing body announcements.
According to Wheelchair Basketball Canada, the tournament will directly determine the slot allocations for each zone ahead of the 2028 Paralympic Games.
Ottawa Prepares to Host the World Stage
For the athletes wearing the maple leaf, competing on home soil offers a rare and powerful advantage. Jeff Dunbrack, the high-performance director for Basketball en fauteuil roulant Canada, noted that the selected group earned their spots through consistent performances, a deep commitment to the high-performance training environment, and the proven ability to compete against elite international opponents.
Automatically qualified as the host nation, the senior women’s national team will compete on home soil. More recently, the squad secured a bronze medal at the 2025 IWBF Americas Cup in Bogotá, Colombia, and finished fifth at the 2022 IWBF World Championships in Dubai.
Tough Group Stage Matchups Await in Group A
According to tournament organizers and national team releases, Canada will square off against Brazil, China, Great Britain, Australia, and Spain during the group stage.
The roster blends seasoned veterans who helped guide Canada to a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games with rising talents who have recently broken into the senior setup. Longtime national team mainstays Kady Dandeneau, Melanie Hawtin, Puisand Lai, Tara Llanes, Cindy Ouellet, Tamara Steeves, Élodie Tessier, and Arinn Young anchor the core of the group.
They are joined by Elise Froese, Rosie Long, and Mercy Nyakundi, who made their senior national team debuts at the 2025 Americas Cup in Bogotá. Bethany Johnson, who first appeared for the senior team during the 2023 Parapan American Games, is set to make her maiden World Championship appearance in Ottawa.
Coaching Perspective and Roster Outlook
Head coach Joey Johnson expressed optimism regarding the balance of leadership and emerging depth within the locker room. According to the team’s announcements, Johnson emphasized that competing in Ottawa in front of family, friends, and Canadian supporters creates an incredible atmosphere, though the technical staff remains fully aware that the overall standard of competition will be exceptionally high.
Backing up the players is a dedicated support staff, including assistant coaches Craig Campbell and Emerson Martin, performance analyst Matthew Tang, mental health lead Lindsay Berard, team physician Lindsay Bradley, high-performance director Jeff Dunbrack, sport therapist Paul Murata, strength and conditioning coach Hana Parkin, and coordinator Emma Shimizu.
