OTTAWA - Wheelchair Basketball Canada is pleased to name the 12 athletes that will represent Canada at the 2013 World Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championships Americas Zone Qualification Tournament taking place at the Paralympic Training Centre in Mexico City March 11-17, 2013.

Canada will be one of six teams competing for two available berths into the Men’s U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, which is set for September 12-22, 2013 in Adana, Turkey.

"We have assembled an outstanding group of young men who possess unbelievable character, determination, and a relentless drive to succeed. These are the attributes which will determine our success in the year to come,” said Team Canada U23 Men’s Head Coach Stephen Bialowas.

First up, the newly assembled team will be holding a training camp in Champaign, Illinois and playing a series of friendly games against the University of Illinois men’s and women’s collegiate wheelchair basketball teams at Huff Hall February 22-24, 2013.

The 2013 Canadian roster includes three returning players from the team that placed eighth at the last Junior Men’s World Championship in 2009.

The 12 junior men are: (athletes’ city of residence indicated / returning players from the 2009 team denoted with a *):

• Alexandre Courcelles (Saint-Roch Ouest, Que.)
• Eric Voss (St. Mary’s, Ont.)
• Jeremy Watts (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
• Joel Watts (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
• Jonathan Vermette (Sherbrooke, Que.) *
• Justin Johnson (Milner, B.C.)
• Kevin Wakeling (Cambridge, Ont.)
• Mitchel Bossaer (Saskatoon, Sask.)
• Nikola Goncin (Regina, Sask.) *
• Philippe Vermette (Sherbrooke, Que.) *
• Reid Richard (Regina, Sask.)
• Vincent Dallaire (Quebec City, Que.)

Head Coach: Stephen Bialowas (Toronto, Ont.)