Chilliwack’s Ben Hagkull leads Team B.C. into battle at this weekend’s Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League tournament in Edmonton.
The season opening event for the CWBL runs Saturday and Sunday at the Saville Centre in Edmonton.
Team B.C.’s seven-person roster includes Hagkull along with Langley’s Joel Aukema, Vancouver’s Derek Mitchell and Alphonsus To, North Vancouver’s Tara Llanes, Burnaby’s Amanda Pinheiro and Victoria’s Aidan Love.
Hagkull and Aukema were key members of Team B.C. at the 2019 Canada Winter Games, and Llanes and Pinheiro brought home bronze as members of the B.C. Breakers at the 2019 CWBL Women’s National Championship.
“This Team BC roster is a mix of rookie and veteran players,” said Team B.C. coach Simon Cass. “By going with seven players on our roster, it will give us some strong line-up options. It will be a good chance to see where we match up against the other Western Canadian teams, and provide development opportunities for all of the players attending.”
Team B.C. goes by the moniker ‘Royals.’
The Royals finished third at the 2019 CWBL Open National Championship. After a tough loss in round-robin play to the three-time reigning champs, Laval Gladiateurs, the Royals went on to beat Saskatchewan in third place game.
See wheelchairbasketball.ca/programs/canadian-wheelchair-basketball-league/