Worlds notebook: Dandeneau named MVP, Young on All-Star team

OTTAWA — Kady Dandeneau was named tournament MVP at the wheelchair basketball world championships, which concluded Saturday with the U.S. defeating Canada 77-76 in a memorable final.

Dandeneau, from Pender Island, B.C., won the scoring title, averaging 30.4 points per game. She also led the tournament in total points (243), field goals, steals and rebounds.

Arinn Young, from Legal, Alta., who forms Canada’s dynamic duo with Dandeneau, was named to the tournament all-star team. She led the tournament in three-pointers per game and free throws made, while finishing second in scoring and assists.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wheelchair Basketball Canada (@wheelchairbasketballcanada)

The other members of the Canadian team were:

Elise Froese – Victoria, B.C.
Melanie Hawtin—Oakville, Ont.
Bethany Johnson – Winnipeg, Man.
Puisand Lai – Toronto, Ont.
Tara Llanes – North Vancouver, B.C.
Rosie Long – Oakville, Ont.
Mercy Nyakundi – Hamilton, Ont.
Cindy Ouellet – Quebec City, Que.
Tamara Steeves – Mississauga, Ont.
Élodie Tessier – Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que.

Women’s coaching staff:
Joey Johnson (Lorette, Man.) – Head Coach
Craig Campbell (Coburg, Australia) – Assistant Coach
Emerson Martin (Winnipeg, Man.) – Assistant Coach
Matthew Tang (Toronto, Ont.) – Performance Analyst

Federal government announces more than $1 million in additional funding

Also Saturday, Adam van Koeverden, the Secretary of State for Sport, announced at the game that the federal government will provide more than $1 million in additional funding to Wheelchair Basketball Canada.

He praised Wheelchair Basketball Canada for hosting the tournament and for its performance on the court, saying the additional investment is intended to build on the event’s momentum.

“This has been a world-class event,” Van Koeverden told CTV Ottawa. “I’ve come to a couple of games and it’s great to see people coming out and cheering on, maybe for the first time, maybe they are longtime fans of wheelchair basketball.”

Ottawa lauded for its accessibility

For the Para athletes competing in Ottawa, accessibility appeared to be rarely an issue during the tournament.

Players praised the city’s push-button doors, ramps, transportation and sidewalks.

“It’s super wheelchair accessible,” Robyn Love of the British team told CTV Ottawa. “There’s always a touch-door for the door to open, most places have ramp access. For us, it’s been pretty perfect.”

It wasn’t uncommon to see players throughout the city during the tournament, visiting the downtown core, ByWard Market, shopping malls and museums.

“I love how flat it is, so you can really go out and explore,” said Laurie Williams of the British team.

Even Ottawa’s much-maligned public transit system appeared to be easy to navigate for members of the Japanese team.

“They found the public transit very easy,” a team member said. “Even though they can’t speak English, they can manage to get around.”

The players stayed at the Westin Hotel downtown. To accommodate the large number of wheelchair users, the hotel made renovations to bathroom doors and  doorways and adjusted the heights of sinks and counters.

In addition, a basketball court was built next door at the Rogers Convention Centre, allowing teams to avoid the hassle of loading onto buses to train at the competition venues.

“It’s like a casual three-minute stroll to get to training,” Williams said. “It just makes such a massive difference.”

Young agreed.

“It’s huge mentally, for every athlete here to know that everything is really simple for us,” she said. “We don’t have to worry about our chairs or being in long transports to get back and forth from venues.”

Games were held at TD Place Arena and Carleton University. Carleton also built new and permanent ramps thanks to the championships.

All in all, the tournament was a great success while offering an opportunity to showcase the sport to a wider audience.

“We opened people’s eyes to the skills and athleticism that the sport is played with,” said Wheelchair Basketball Canada CEO Wendy Gittens.