Previewing Lima 2019: Paralympic Games spots available in wheelchair tennis and table tennis; badminton makes debut

OTTAWA – It won’t be easy but Canadian players can earn spots to the next Paralympic Games in wheelchair tennis and table tennis while badminton makes its first appearance at the Parapan American Games which start this week.

In wheelchair tennis, the winner of the men’s and women’s singles events qualifies a spot for their country for Tokyo. The remaining slots for the Paralympics will be based on ITF world rankings next summer. 

There are two Canadians in men’s competition including 20-year-old Thomas Venos who recently helped the University of Alabama win an NCAA title. Also in men’s competition is Jonathan Tremblay of St-Félix-de-Valois, Que.

The quad division will be making its Parapan Am Games debut. Canada’s top-ranked player Rob Shaw of North Bay, Ont., at No. 8 in the world, is the team’s top medal hope. He is joined by Mitch McIntyre of Vancouver, B.C. The top-12 quads in the world in June 2020 go to Tokyo.

The wheelchair tennis competition runs from August 24-30. Brazil, Argentina and the U.S. were the top nations at the 2015 Games in Toronto. 

Para table tennis
In Para table tennis, which gets underway a day before the Opening Ceremony on August 22, the winner of each singles event in Lima qualifies for the 2020 Paralympics. 

Stephanie Chan of Vancouver heads to the Games as the reigning women’s class 7 champion. Her victory in Toronto notched her a spot for the Rio Games. She is currently ranked ninth in the world. 

The other Canadian entries are men’s class 8 players Ian Kent of Eastern Passage, N.S. and Curtis Caron of Dartmouth, N.S.; Steven Dunn of Halifax in class 3 and Peter Isherwood of Vancouver in class 2. The table tennis tournament concludes August 27.

Brazil captured 15 gold medals in Toronto in a dominant performance.

Para badminton

Para badminton could be a big medal producer for Canada and host Peru at the Games based on last year’s Pan Am Championships also held in Lima.

Canadians won 14 medals at those championships including two gold, (four of those doubles medals were with partners from other countries). Highlights included Pascal Lapointe of Montreal and Olivia Meier of Winnipeg with gold in standing mixed doubles and Yuka Chokyu of Vancouver (WH1), Meier and Lapointe with singles silvers. Brazil was the dominant nation at the Pan Ams followed by Peru and Canada.

The tournament in Lima runs from August 29-31. There are classifications for wheelchair, standing and short stature. Lima is not a direct qualifier for the Tokyo Paralympics, with results providing rankings points. 

The other Canadians entered in the Games are Bernard Lapointe of Moncton, N.B. (in WH1 singles and WH2 doubles), Wyatt Lightfoot of Wilcox, Sask.,( in SS6 singles), Richard Peter of Duncan, B.C., in WH1 singles and WH2 doubles and 15-year-old William Roussy of Maria, Que., in SL3 singles.

Peter and Chokyu previously represented Canada at five and three Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis respectively.

Canada is sending a team of 151 athletes to the Lima 2019 Parapan Am Games, taking place August 23 to September 1.

For more information on the Canadian Parapan Am Team, please visit Paralympic.ca/lima2019.