Canadian Paralympic Committee and CBC Sports to broadcast 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships

- Canada's games will be available live on cbcsports.ca,
via the CBC Sports app, and on CPC's Facebook page
- Tournament runs through August 26 in Hamburg, Germany ­
- Canadian men's and women's teams are medal threats

OTTAWA, Aug. 16, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Paralympic Committee has once again teamed up with Canada's Paralympic Network to bring coverage of the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships to Canadians, with games to be streamed live across the country beginning tomorrow. Both the Canadian men's and women's teams kick off their campaigns August 17, with the tournament running through August 26 in Hamburg, Germany.

"The World Wheelchair Basketball Championships is one of the biggest events in parasport outside of the Paralympic Games and we are excited to be working alongside our partner CBC/Radio-Canada to broadcast it across the country," said Martin Richard, Executive Director, Communications and Brand, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "One of our priorities is bringing the feats of our athletes to Canadians in between Games, and we encourage all Canadians to support these phenomenal competitors. Our wheelchair basketball teams have always been top performers, and we look forward to watching them play in Germany."

All of Canada's games from the world championships will be livestreamed on cbcsports.ca, via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, the CBC TV app and cbc.ca/watch, as well as the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Wheelchair Basketball Canada's Facebook pages.

The Canadian men are one of 16 teams vying for the title and will play in Pool A alongside Morocco, Iran, and Germany. The women are among 12 nations competing for the championship and are in Pool A with Spain, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia, and Netherlands.

"As Canada's Paralympic Network, CBC/Radio-Canada is dedicated to telling the stories of para athletes through CBC Sports' platforms and we are pleased to offer our audiences live streaming coverage of this marquee event," said Greg Stremlaw, Executive Director, CBC Sports, and General Manager, Olympics. "As a perennial power in international wheelchair basketball, Canada's men and women are poised for another strong showing at the world championships and we look forward to sharing their games with our audiences."

Canada historically has been a world leader in wheelchair basketball, with three Paralympic gold medals for both its men's (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012) and women's (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000) teams. The Canadian women are also the defending world champions, claiming the title on home soil in Toronto back in 2014. Canada will be represented in Hamburg by 24 athletes, including 15 Paralympians.  

"Our Canadian teams have worked hard to prepare for the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships and we cannot wait to build on our rich legacy of international success," said Wendy Gittens, Executive Director, Wheelchair Basketball Canada. "We are thrilled to see the sport take centre stage in front of a national audience, allowing more Canadians to support and follow Canada's journey on the court in Hamburg."   

Canada's Preliminary Round Schedule

MEN:
Friday August 17: Canada vs. Morocco, 5:45 a.m. ET
Sunday August 19: Canada vs. Germany, 12 p.m. ET
Monday August 20: Canada vs. Iran, 5:45 a.m. ET

WOMEN:
Friday August 17: Canada vs. Great Britain, 8 a.m. ET
Saturday August 18: Canada vs. Spain, 6:15 a.m. ET
Sunday August 19: Canada vs. Australia, 11:30 a.m. ET
Tuesday August 21: Canada vs. Netherlands, 12:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday August 22: Canada vs. Brazil, 4 a.m. ET

Canada's games will be livestreamed at Facebook.com/CDNParalympics, Facebook.com/wheelchairbasketball, cbcsports.ca and via the CBC Sports app.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee: Paralympic.ca

About CBC Sports
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's Olympic Network through 2024 and Canada's Paralympic Network through 2020. The national public broadcaster is committed to showcasing Canadian and international athletes and sports across all platforms under the CBC Sports and Hockey Night in Canada brands, including on television, online at cbcsports.ca and via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. CBC Sports prides itself on telling the story of the high-performance athlete's journey every step of the way, ensuring Canadians always know the people who represent them before they see them atop the podium.

SOURCE Canadian Paralympic Committee (Sponsorships)