Canadian women, men reach semifinals at inaugural 3x3 wheelchair basketball world championships
Canada advanced to the semifinals in both the women's and men's tournaments at the inaugural 3x3 wheelchair basketball world championships on Saturday.
The Canadian women remained undefeated with a commanding 21-3 win over host South Africa 1, setting up a clash with Great Britain on Sunday at 6:20 a.m. ET in Sun City.
Canada's women's team is comprised of Kady Dandeneau of Pender Island, B.C., Tamara Steeves of Mississauga, Ont., Élodie Tessier of Saint-Germain de Grantham, Que., and Toronto's Puisand Lai.
"I think we're going to meet some tougher competitors, so we're going to have to step up our game for the next few matches," Tessier said. "Honestly, the team's performing well and we can't wait for the next stage."
The Canadians defeated South Africa's second team 17-3 earlier in the day to go 3-0 in the group stage. They opened the tournament with back-to-back wins Friday, doubling up Spain 14–7 before thumping Kenya 21–0.
The Canadian men advanced to face Austria on Sunday at 6:45 a.m. ET after edging Australia 12-9.
Canada is represented by Quebec City's Vincent Dallaire, Colin Higgins of Rothesay, N.B., Lee Melymick of Toronto and Garrett Ostepchuk of Regina.
"It was really fast," Dallaire said. "It was one of the fastest games we've played yet. We played exactly the way we wanted to, so it was good for us.
"Another good match tomorrow. Play exactly like we did tonight. We executed the game plan as planned. We could make a few more layups, but other than that, it's exactly how we wanted to play."
The Canadians reached the quarterfinals with a 21-5 win over Kenya earlier Saturday in the Round of 16.
"It was good to play a game today before the quarterfinals, just to get in the rhythm of the game," Dallaire said.
Canada entered the day with a 2-1 record. It opened the tournament with a thrilling 17–15 overtime win over the Austrians on Friday, with Higgins scoring both points in the extra frame.
"It was tight, but it was a good win, a good start," Ostepchuk said. "I think offensively we were confident, but defensively we needed to be a little bit more reactive and ready."
Canada fell 18–12 to Spain after running into foul trouble but bounced back to defeat Portugal 19–7, securing second place in Pool C.
Watch live coverage of both tournaments on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem, continuing Sunday at 2:50 a.m. ET.
Hosted by Wheelchair Basketball South Africa, the 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships celebrates the growth of 3×3 wheelchair basketball and offers smaller nations an opportunity to shine on the global stage.
This is the second 3x3 event for Canada's wheelchair basketball teams. The women won gold and the men took silver at the sport's debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
With files from Wheelchair Basketball Canada
cbc.ca
