Women’s goalball team enters a new era at world championships

OTTAWA – A new generation is beginning to emerge for Canada’s women’s goalball team as it prepares for next week’s world championship June 10-15 in Hangzhou, China.

The Canadians will feature three newcomers, including teenagers Cassandra Ruttle of Calgary and Elena Hung of Toronto, as the program transitions toward the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

“We know a team isn’t going to stay the same forever,” five-time Paralympian and team captain Amy Burk told CPC before the team’s departure. “We’ve got some young development coming up into the program and I think that’s really good.”

Since Tokyo 2020, Canada has relied mostly on the same six-player core at major international tournaments. It was a powerful squad which included a memorable gold medal at the 2023 Parapan American Games and fifth place at the 2024 Paralympics.

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Along with Burk, high-scoring Emma Reinke of St. Thomas, Ont., and Meghan Mahon of Calgary return to the squad. They are joined by Ruttle, Hung and Ottawa’s Genn Hart.

The newcomers got a taste of top-level international competition at a tournament in Malmo, Sweden, in May, where Canada won the gold medal and faced many of the teams it will see again at worlds.

“They even said, ‘This is the next level,'” Burk said. “They noticed the speed difference and got to experience all these top teams perform.”

Canada’s veterans have also felt the impact of the younger players.

“They’re fast, they’re energetic,” Burk said. “One of the younger players told me she could slow down, and I said, ‘No, keep doing what you’re doing because that’s going to force me to get up to your speed.'”

The world championship carries extra significance as the first qualifying event for the 2028 Paralympics, with the top two teams earning spots in Los Angeles.

Canada enters the tournament with confidence after finishing second at last year’s International Blind Sports World Games in Brazil and winning the tournament in Sweden.

“The team is building that mindset that we know we can win,” Burk said. “We’re excited and pumped to get going.”

On the men’s side, Canada begins its quest to return to the Paralympics for the first time since 2016. Blair Nesbitt of Edmonton is the sole remaining member of that squad.

He is joined at worlds by Raki Karim, Nick Gentleman, Harry Nickerson, Mason Smith and Peter Parsons.

For Canada, these worlds represent both a chance to qualify for LA and a glimpse of the program’s future.

For more information on the worlds including schedules visit HERE

But before the worlds….

Before the world championship begins, Canadian Para athletes are in action this week both at home and abroad. Here is a quick preview:

June 3-8: boccia, World Boccia Cup, Astana, Kazakhstan

Action got underway Wednesday at the Astana 2026 World Boccia Cup in Kazakhstan with Paralympians Alison Levine and Iulian Ciobanu, both of Montreal, playing for Canada.

Levine competes in the BC4 women’s division and Ciobanu in the BC4 men’s division before the pair teams up for the BC4 pairs competition.

The event marks Canada’s first overseas tournament of the season and provides an important opportunity to measure progress ahead of the 2026 World Boccia Championships in Seoul, South Korea, in August.
Competition began Wednesday with individual play, followed by pairs competition from June 6-8.

Click HERE for results and HERE for live streaming.

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June 4-7: wheelchair rugby, Canada Cup, Richmond B.C.

Co-captain Eric Rodrigues of Mississauga, Ont., leads a 12-player Canadian roster at the 2026 Canada Cup wheelchair rugby tournament, scheduled for June 4-7 at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

The biennial event, hosted by BC Wheelchair Sports, is considered one of the sport’s premier international competitions outside the World Championships and Paralympic Games.

Canada’s roster includes veterans Cody Caldwell, Byron Green, Travis Murao and Rodrigues, along with emerging players such as Reese Ketler and Maxime Drolet-Gauthier.

Canada faces Japan, Australia, France, Great Britain and Brazil in wheelchair rugby round-robin play before placement games June 7.

You can purchase tickets to watch the event live HERE

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June 5-7: wheelchair basketball, Junior National Championships, Quebec City

The 2026 Junior National Championship in wheelchair basketball runs Friday through Sunday at the CEGEP Limoilou Sports Complex in Quebec City.

The tournament brings together eight of the country’s top junior teams and serves as a key test event and seeding competition ahead of the 2027 Canada Winter Games.

Defending champion British Columbia returns with reigning Junior Athlete of the Year Elise Froese and Jeffer Ward from its gold-medal-winning roster at the 2023 Canada Winter Games.

The three-day event begins June 5 with Ontario facing Quebec and concludes June 7 with the medal-round games. A rules clinic led by internationally carded official Sébastien Gauthier will also be offered during the championship.

Details can be found on WBC’s event page.

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