Wheelchair rugby: Canada one win away from Tokyo 2020 berth

RICHMOND, B.C. – Canada defeated France 50-40 on Saturday to conclude the round robin portion of the wheelchair rugby Paralympic Games qualifier with a perfect 6-0 record.

Canada advances to one of two semifinals on Sunday. The winners of both semis earn their tickets to the 2020 Paralympic Games August 25 to September 6 in Tokyo. 

‘’We are really playing well,’’ said Canadian team captain Patrice Dagenais. ‘’We just got to keep doing the same thing and the keep the gas on the pedal tomorrow and come out with the win.’’
Canada,  France (5-1) and Germany are all qualified for the semis, with the fourth stop to be decided later Saturday. 

‘’We’ve reached a level of play I have not seen sine I became head coach,’’ said Patrick Coté, who gained the helm of the team after the 2016 Games. ‘’You can tell the guys are on a mission.’’

The tournament closes Sunday with the two semifinals (12 p.m. and 2 p.m.). 

Viewers can follow the action via the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and CPC Facebook page, as well as the Radio-Canada Sports app and radio-canada.ca/sports.