Rick Hansen, honorary chairman of the Championships, described his delight at being involved in both the event and the legacy programme.

"As a wheelchair basketball athlete myself, I am extremely proud to be an Honorary Chairman of the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship," he said. 

"A lasting legacy of wheelchair sport achievements will continue through the true excellence that event participants have achieved through their passion for athletics.

"Together, we are building legacies for the future - to show the world the possibilities of sport, inclusivity, and accessibility."

The tournament, due to take place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre starting on June 20, will be the largest women's World Championships in history and the first to be held separately from the men since 1994.

The event will offer a chance for Canada to avenge the ending of their 16-year winning won at the last World Championships, in Birmingham in 2010, where they were defeated by eventual champions the United States at the semi-final stage and had to be content with a bronze medal.

Before that they had won four straight Championships in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006.

They will have a tough task on their hands however as they have not won a Paralympic gold medal since Sydney 2000 and finished out of the medals and down in sixth position at London 2012.

Canada will continue their rivalry with the USA at the 2014 World Championships


The Championships hopes to build on the legacy of Toronto hosting the inaugural women's under-25 World Championship in 2011, and will be a key stage in the build-up towards the city hosting the 2015 Parapan American Games.

Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport who is also responsible for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, claimed the wheelchair basketball Championships was an important stepping stone in those preparations.

"Competitions such as this give us all an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable athleticism, achievements and determination shown by Ontario's para-athletes and build on the great success that we have achieved on national and international stages," he said. 

"As we prepare for the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, we are proud to support Ontario athletes of all abilities with an opportunity to compete and win on home soil."

These views were echoed by tournament director Wendy Gittens, who predicted that they will "have a positive, meaningful, and lasting impact on the community."
 
"We are pleased to be working with the Ontario Trillium Foundation and all of our partners to build capacity in the province, to increase awareness, dedicate resources to growing the women's game," she said.

"Also to enhance inclusivity and accessibility, and to create a financial and equipment legacy that will ensure the ongoing success of hosting a prestigious international event like this in Toronto."