The Canadian U23 Men have competed at each of the U23 World Championships since hosting the inaugural event in 1997 in Toronto. They enjoyed success by reaching the top of the podium in 1997 and 2001, but have placed no higher than sixth in the World Championships since then.
Canada is in pursuit of the podium once again, and to help them achieve this they will require the fine shooting form of 4.0 point classified player, Liam Hickey.
At 19 years old, Liam thinks that to wear the Canadian jersey is one of the best feelings in the world, and he is always very honoured to represent his country. Expanding on this he said, “It’s a great opportunity to get to participate in such a big event at such a young age. It helps everyone develop much faster and allows everyone to get a taste of playing on such a big stage.
“We have all been preparing very hard for this tournament. I know every guy here has put in the work that was needed for us to give the best performance possible. We have a great group of committed guys.”
Liam, who has been playing wheelchair basketball for 10 years and is currently playing for club PEI Mustangs, went on to describe Canada’s aims for the tournament, “We have our sights set on the gold medal. We know we can achieve that if we execute our game plan. Every team here wants that gold medal so it’ll come down to which team wants it the most.
“We are looking forward to going against every team here but especially the teams like Great Britain, Japan, Turkey and Iran.
It will also be a very special Championships for Canada as it returns 20 years on since hosting the inaugural tournament in 1997. Liam added, “What I am most looking forward to will be playing in front of our home crowd. Having friends and family there to support us will be an incredible feeling.”
