CBC, SportsCanada.TV & SendtoNews announced as media partners for 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship

TORONTO, June 18, 2014 /CNW/ - All of the fast moving, intense action, and eye-opening excitement of the largest women's world wheelchair basketball championship in history will be on full digital display when the teams hit the hardcourt June 20-28 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. The 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship organizing committee is pleased to announce that all 44 games of the competition will be available to watch live online through CBC Sports' free desktop video player and SportsCanada.TV's digital platforms. Daily video highlights will also be made available and distributed to media outlets via SendtoNews.

"We are looking forward to turning some heads this week when Toronto is treated to some of the top ball players in the world showcasing their supreme talents during eight days of fierce competition. So it is with great enthusiasm that we get the opportunity to team up with world-class media partners in order to deliver the experience with viewers from coast-to-coast and on every continent. CBC Sports is a leading member of Canada's Paralympic Media Consortium, and both SportsCanada.TV, and SendtoNews are recognized leaders in sports coverage. All of us share a common passion for sharing the ability of sport to move people," said Tournament Director Wendy Gittens.

The milestone event features teams from 12 competing countries and celebrates the ongoing growth of women's sport, inclusivity, and accessibility. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) event is hosted by Wheelchair Basketball Canada.

Veteran broadcaster Rob Snoek (@RobSnoekLIVE) will lead a team of play-by-play and colour analysts that include wheelchair basketball pioneer Tim Frick (@CoachFrick), who is the winningest coach in wheelchair basketball history, and Marni Abbott-Peter who is a three-time Paralympic gold medallist and four-time world champion.

The action starts Friday June 20^th at 8 am ET and continues through to the gold medal match Saturday June 28^th at 3 pm ET. Team Canada will play daily with their first match scheduled for this Friday against Japan following the tournament's opening ceremonies at 12:30 pm ET.

Team Canada is in pursuit of an unprecedented seventh consecutive podium finish at the world championship, and the tournament will be Canada's first major test on the road to the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

A detailed competition schedule is available on the event website.

For more information please visit www.2014wheelchairbasketball.com / #2014wcbasketball.

About the Event

Over 400 athletes, coaches, officials, delegates, and volunteers will attend the 2014 WWWBC that features 12 participating countries. Canadians can catch a sneak peek at the top 12 female wheelchair basketball players in Canada, including emerging local talent and highly decorated stars, preparing to compete in one of the most fiercely competitive and exciting spectator sports to be played at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

About Team Canada

Team Canada is in pursuit of an unprecedented seventh straight podium performance, remarkably, having medalled at every single world championship including the capture of four consecutive gold medals (1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006), and bronze medals in 1990 and 2010.

About the Host

Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the host of the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship. The event marks Canada's fourth opportunity to host a landmark international wheelchair basketball championship - having previously hosted the Men's World Championship in 1994, the inaugural U23 Men's World Championships in 1997, and the first-ever U25 Women's World Championships in 2011.

SOURCE: Wheelchair Basketball Canada