WINNIPEG (August 26, 2022) – Canada has earned a spot in the Men’s Team Event final at the International Racquetball Federation’s World Championships being held in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
In Friday’s play, Team Canada defeated Ecuador in two straight matches in the quarterfinal and went on to defeat Bolivia in the semi-final, also in two straight matches. They will face Mexico in Saturday’s final which is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm Central
Lee Connell of Saskatoon is a member of the men’s team playing for gold. The other members are Coby Iwaasa (Lethbridge), Kurtis Cullen (Brandon) and Samuel Murray (St-Hubert). Iwaasa and Murray were the two athletes selected by the team to compete.
Connell competed earlier in the week in Men’s Singles. He did well in his pool play matches but came up against tough components in the championship round and was unable to advance.
“It’s a privilege to have made it this far. I’m grateful to have Team Canada supporting me on the court,” said Coby Iwaasa who spoke on behalf of the team. “These moments are what we train for and I’m excited to put it all out on the court tomorrow for our entire team.
The Men’s and Women’s Team Events have recently been added back into the competition schedule for the World Championships and other international tournaments. Nations face off in a combination of singles and double matches, with the winners being the nation that wins the best of three matches.
This is Canada’s second opportunity to win a gold medal at this year’s World Championships. Murray and Frédérique Lambert of Montréal played in the Mixed Doubles final on Thursday night, placing second to the doubles team from Mexico.
Canada’s entry in the Women’s Team Event advanced to the quarterfinals but lost to a strong team from Argentina.
