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The 2008 Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament received $10,000 from Hosting BC. The event serves as a pre-Paralympic and pre-World Championship event for Canada's national team to compete against the world's best. It drew 92 athletes, aged 18-45, from eight countries, including Japan, China and Australia as well as from five Canadian provinces.
The event provided an opportunity for the national team to engage in international competition without significant travel expense. It also introduced newly injured individuals to the sport to demonstrate the potential for their own involvement. Officials, classifiers and volunteers, many of whom are youth, upgraded their skills to international levels to form an experienced pool of resources for future major events. Also, a variety of health professionals volunteered at the event and gained valuable experience working with athletes with a disability.
Direct economic benefit included increased revenues for hospitality industries and local suppliers and equipment purchased for the event can be used by the local and regional wheelchair sport communities.
