Supporting Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball in Canada

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 19, 2015) - Department of Canadian Heritage

The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport), today announced the Government of Canada's 2014-15 support for Canada Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball Canada, the sports' governing bodies in this country. This funding, totalling more than $6.1 million, is being delivered through three funding programs designed to support the national sport organizations, their high-performance athletes and the hosting of international events in Canada.

Quick Facts

• In the 2014-15 fiscal year, Sport Canada is contributing up to $4,636,050 to Canada Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball Canada through the Sport Support Program to support the delivery of these sports in Canada, including the development of athletes, coaches and officials.
• Sport Canada is providing a total of $1,275,295 in 2014-15 through the Athlete Assistance Program to support 139 basketball athletes, which includes 48 para athletes. These funds assist athletes with living, education and training expenses to help them focus on their pursuit of excellence.
• Sport Canada contributed $245,000 through the Hosting Program to support the hosting of the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship.
• The Canadian high-performance basketball program has enjoyed recent success, including the Canadian women's basketball team finishing fifth at the 2015 FIBA World Championship for Women. On the men's side, 12 Canadian men play professional basketball in the NBA, and back-to-back number one overall NBA draft picks have been Canadians-Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett.
• Recently, Canada won gold at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto. The men's team won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Summer Games.

Quotes

"Basketball's history is rooted in Canada, and it's wonderful to see the sport thriving in our country. We are very proud to support Canada Basketball and Wheelchair Basketball Canada in the great work they do in promoting these sports all across our country, from local courts to the highest levels of performance. I am especially excited to watch our Canadian teams compete this summer at the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto, where they will get to enjoy home court advantage and have thousands of fans cheering them on with every shot."

-The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport)

"We are very fortunate to have excellent support from Sport Canada and the Government of Canada. With this funding we are able to provide programs for youth to learn to play basketball, and support our national teams as they represent Canada on the international stage."

-Michele O'Keefe, Executive Director, Canada Basketball

"The Government of Canada is a tremendous partner whose support makes it possible for Wheelchair Basketball Canada to realize our vision of being a world leader in the sport from grassroots to high performance. With the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto, we are excited for all Canadians to be able to experience our sport at the highest level and join us in cheering on Canada's national teams."

-Wendy Gittens, Executive Director, Wheelchair Basketball Canada

Associated Links

Sport Canada

Canada Basketball

Wheelchair Basketball Canada

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.