N.B. wheelchair basketball team hopes to build on national gold medal
New Brunswick's wheelchair basketball team won the Division 2 gold medal Sunday at the sport's national tournament in Fredericton, beating the Edmonton Inferno 62-44.
The game was part of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) National Championship, which took place this weekend at the Richard J. Currie Center. The championship happens every spring for competing teams from across Canada.
Desiree Isaac Pictou, a player from Ugpi'ganjig (Eel River Bar First Nation), played varsity basketball in high school and became involved in wheelchair basketball in 2022. She said winning gold was a "really great feeling."
Pictou said it would have been a great event even if her team hadn't won.
She said it "is really great to show people around New Brunswick what wheelchair basketball is all about."
Team New Brunswick coach Clary Stubbert said it was especially exciting to play the championship game at home. (Prapti Bamaniya/CBC)
Pictou said she hopes the win will encourage more people to try wheelchair basketball.
Team captain Westley Johnston said there was a good mix of veteran and junior players on the team this year.
"I think for us to capitalize on those two dynamics and push a little further into the national scene, and push out of Division 2, would be great for us," he said.
Johnston, who's been playing wheelchair basketball for 13 years, has competed at the world juniors in 2017 and played for New Brunswick in 2019.
He also played professionally in Europe for two years. This weekend's tournament represents his return to Canada.
Sharon Ingalls came out to Fredericton from Grand Manan to cheer on her granddaughter Abbi Zwicker, who played for the New Brunswick team. 'It’s the most wonderful thing we’ve watched in a long time,' she said. (Prapti Bamaniya/CBC)
The biggest challenge his team had to overcome was a lack of practice together since there's no domestic league in the Maritimes.
Still, Johnston said Sunday's victory shows the team's hard work paid off. The team won all six of its games in the competition.
"I think it also shows to the other provinces that New Brunswick is a team that's up-and-coming and potentially will move on to compete for a Division 1 title someday."
The Calgary Rollers defeated Gladiateurs de Laval 70-57 in the Division 1 final.
