Badminton Ontario wishes the best of luck to the Canadian delegation heading to Germany for the 2023 World Dwarf Games!
The World Dwarf Games is the largest international sports competition exclusively for people with dwarfism. The 8th edition of the Games will be taking place from July 28 to August 5 at the German Sports University in Cologne, Germany. It will bring together over 500 athletes from 29 countries, 46 of which will be representing Canada. This is the 3rd Games to feature a formal Team Canada contingent, which is being led this year by Co-Chefs de Mission Brit Theis (Waterloo, ON) and Zoe Meil (Ottawa, ON).
Featuring 10 sport events, including badminton, the Games will include four distinct age categories for maximum participation, such as ‘Futures’ (ages 6 and under), ‘Junior’ (ages 7-15), ‘Open’ (ages 16+), and ‘Masters’ (ages 35+).
A total of 24 Canadian athletes will be competing in badminton in Germany, 16 of which are from Ontario. Leading the way will be 19-year-old Oakville native Justin Kendrick and 20-year-old Wyatt Lightfoot of Saskatchewan. Both are international high performance para badminton athletes and members of the Badminton Canada Para Badminton National Team.
Team Canada – Badminton
- Francesca Azzarello (Markham, ON) – Open
- Vivek Bhagria (Winnipeg, MB) – Open
- Colleen Cloëtta (Baie d’Urfé, QC) – Open
- Maxime Denis (Ottawa, ON) – Junior
- Jared Der (Saskatoon, SK) – Open
- Sarah Ghods (Toronto, ON) – Junior
- Andromeda Hang (Toronto, ON) – Junior
- Ezekiel Hayhoe (St. Thomas, ON) – Open
- Logan Hunter (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) – Open
- Aaron Keith (Toronto, ON) – Open
- Justin Kendrick (Oakville, ON) – Open
- Thomas Levac (Embrun, ON) – Junior
- Wyatt Lightfoot (Assiniboia, SK) – Open
- Gabriel McHughan (Shelburne, ON) – Junior
- Julian McKay (Cambridge, ON) – Junior
- Zoe Meil (Ottawa, ON) – Open
- Michael Moriarty-Brand (Mississauga, ON) – Open
- Carter Morrison (Carlyle, SK) – Open
- Nicholas Quinn (Paradise, NL) – Open
- Jeremy Scott (Guelph, ON) – Junior
- Leytika Sharma (Winnipeg, MB) – Open
- Christian Tabone (Bradford, ON) – Junior
- Brooklyn Wolfrey (Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, NL) – Open
- Sydney Yeung (Seattle, WA / Toronto, ON) – Junior
Kendrick (pictured right) will be attending his 3rd World Dwarf Games. He first participated at just nine years old in East Lansing, Michigan in 2013, and again in 2017 in Guelph, Ontario. Not only will he be competing in badminton, but he will also be suiting up for the red and white in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and table tennis.
The multisport athlete and Carleton University student shared that he was most looking forward to “reconnecting with all the other little people around the world that are attending the event.” He added, “Since the event has been pushed back from the pandemic, it’s been a long time without seeing them. It’s an amazing event for everyone around the world with dwarfism to come together and play the sports they love.” When asked about his favourite aspect of the Games, he said he loved “competing against others on an equal playing field where everyone else faces the same challenges in their day-to-day lives.”
Join us in cheering on Team Canada and follow along on social media at @dwarfathleticscan. All sports, with the exception of swimming and archery, will be live streamed. Find out more by following @officialwdg2023.
About the Dwarf Athletics Association of Canada
The Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada (DAAC) is a Canadian Registered Charity that provides life-long fellowship, athletic support, and information to people with dwarfism, their families and friends across Canada. DAACs initiatives are aimed at reducing the barriers in everyday lives: a chance to play, to train and to compete eye-to-eye by developing and facilitating equitable, amateur level athletic opportunities for children, youth and adults with dwarfism. daaca.ca
About the International Dwarf Sports Federation
The IDSF, the International Dwarf Sports Federation, is the worldwide governing body for dwarf sports. It exists to encourage international sporting competition amongst dwarf athletes, represent the needs of dwarf athletes amongst other international sporting organisations, and set and maintain standard rules and regulations for sports used in international competition. internationaldwarfsportsfederation.com
