Chilliwack’s Ben Hagkull will once again be representing the province on the national stage.
Hagkull is among the 12 names the B.C. Grizzlies have selected to compete at the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League’s Open National Championship in Fredericton N.B. this upcoming weekend (April 26-28).
The team looks to better their results from last year’s tournament where they finished winless in their four contests.
“The B.C. Wheelchair Basketball Society had great success in 2023 with our junior program and it is great to see the progression of the Team B.C. senior squad naming some great young talent to go to the 2024 Open Championship,” said Grizzlies head coach Simon Cass.
“For many of these athletes, it will be their first time competing at a senior national championship. With such a great young team, we are hoping to podium in 2024. We are excited to also be joined by Tara Llanes and Ben Hagkull who have just returned home from tournaments where they helped Team Canada qualify spots at the 2024 Paralympic Summer Games in Paris.”
The tournament will feature five-on-five styled games while comprising teams from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and host province New Brunswick. The tournament will also feature a three-on-three recreational division to accommodate the growing interest in the discipline.
The rest of the Grizzlies roster is as follows:
Joel Aukema - Langley
Tara Llanes - North Vancouver
Matthew Norris - Langley
Alphonsus To - Vancouver
Jeffer Ward - Vancouver
Cameron Gelowitz - Kamloops
Gabe Harrison - Pender Island
Mac Madell - Victoria
Megan Smith - Victoria
Nick van Bakel - Pender Island
The tournament is set to tip off on Friday.
READ MORE: Chilliwack’s Ben Hagkull helps B.C. win Canada Games gold