'Feels amazing': Sask. Olympians, Paralympians celebrated at Legislature
8h ago
Saskatchewan sent 38 athletes, coaches and mission staff to Paris.
On the heels of the Toronto Raptors’ NBA championship, basketball interest was at an all-time high in this nation. Unfortunately, that momentum for the sport may be losing some steam.
Training camp has started for our national men’s team as the World Cup gets underway later this month. Thirty-two teams from across the globe will compete in China and seven will gain Olympic berths.
Canada is ranked 23rd. It would do wonders for this sport in our country to have a Canadian team compete in the 2020 Games. The last time Canada had a men’s team advance to the Olympics was 2000.
Many big-name Canadian NBA players such as Dwight Powell, Tristan Thompson, R.J. Barrett and Jamal Murray aren’t taking part in training camp due to minor injuries and the preference for rest, which they shouldn’t be faulted for. Basketball is a gruelling game.
This does, however, lessen Canada’s chances of advancing to the Olympic Games from the World Cup, and may take away a chance for Canadians to get behind the Maple Leaf in a sport that was the talk of the country earlier this summer.