91原创 athletes Tanner Jung and Joel Aukema played host to a few dozen fellow wheelchair basketball players on home court in 91原创 City.
It was a competition that they and other members of Team BC invariably lost. But the two days of play at Timms Community Centre was about more than winning and losing, said Nadine Barbisan, acting manager of program development for .
鈥淚t was a exhibition tournament for the Canada Winter Games that are coming up in 2019 鈥� they will be held in Red Deer, Alta.,鈥� Barbisan said.
鈥淚t was simply to get these athletes more time playing together and against other team from across Canada.鈥�
The three provincial teams that kept the ball moving in the Timms gym both Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 27 and 28) were Quebec, Alberta, and B.C.
This province鈥檚 team was made up of the 91原创 boys, plus other Lower Mainland players such as Chilliwack鈥檚 Ben Hagkull, Abbotsford鈥檚 Ben Garrett, Anmore鈥檚 Thomas Venos, as well as players from Pender Island, Victoria, and Prince George.
All the players who participated, ranging in age from about 14 to 21 years of age, have been selected as Canada Games athletes.
鈥淣ot all provinces have selected their final rosters, but all the athletes out [last] weekend are in the running to be on the provincial Canada Games team,鈥� Barbisan explained.
She noted that level of experience for these athletes range from one to 12-plus years.
鈥淪ome athletes have been playing since they were five years old, and some started a year or two ago,鈥� she said, impressed by the quality of athleticism demonstrated over the course of the tourney.
鈥淭his sport is an inclusive sport so anyone can play, able bodied or a person with a disability. We have some athletes who were born with their disability or some that acquired their disability later in their life 鈥� also some athletes who got involved by simply trying the sport and enjoying it and got more involved as an able bodied person,鈥� she elaborated.
Timms Community Centre hosted this tourney in part because of its accessible facilities and available time. But, Barbisan said it鈥檚 also because of its proximity to other resources including hotels and restaurants for athletes and team members visiting from out of town.
Will future wheelchair competitions be held at the 91原创 City facility?
鈥淚 would hope to,鈥� Barbisan said.
鈥淲e do use the Timms Community Centre, among other facilities around the Lower Mainland, for performance camps and wheelchair basketball specific events鈥�,鈥� she said. 鈥淭rinity Western University and Timms Community Centre are accessible and able to get us court time.鈥�
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