February 21, 2023 – Volleyball Canada is pleased to announce the details of the ParaVolley PanAmerica Zonal Championship taking place from May 9 to 13, 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta.
 
This event will be a sitting volleyball Paris 2024 Paralympic qualifier and an expected five women’s national teams and seven men’s teams will compete for one Paralympic berth per gender.
 
“On behalf of both our women’s and men’s teams, we are very excited to be able to host this event in Edmonton and compete in front of a home crowd,” said Ian Halliday, Director of High Performance (Para Volleyball). “Not only is this a very important event in terms of Paris 2024, but it’s also a great showcase of the sport of sitting volleyball. Most of our tournaments and events take place in other areas of the world, so anytime we get to compete here in Canada is a special opportunity for everyone.”
 
The Saville Community Sports Centre will host the tournament. The event is supported by local partners, including Explore Edmonton.
 
"Explore Edmonton is thrilled to host the 2023 ParaVolley Pan American Zonal Championships," said Janelle Janis, Executive Director of Events and Business Development with Explore Edmonton. "We get to shine a spotlight on the Paralympic community and the women's senior sitting team that's headquartered in Edmonton and well on its way to securing a spot at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris. We cannot wait to cheer all the athletes on!"
 
Edmonton is the home of the women’s sitting volleyball national team training centre with the men’s team based out of Calgary, AB. 
 
Paralympian Heidi Peters, who is from Edmonton, shares the program’s excitement to host the qualifier: "I am beyond excited to compete on home soil for a berth to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games! This is a huge opportunity for our team to showcase our continued growth against the best teams in the world. We are grateful to be hosting this event and looking forward to having our closest friends and family in the crowd cheering us on!"
 
Canada’s women’s team is ranked third in the World Ranking and was the silver medalists at the 2022 World Championship. The men’s team is currently 11th in the World Ranking. The ParaVolley Championship will be held in conjunction with Volleyball Canada youth Nationals in Edmonton.
 
With the full schedule still to come, more information on ParaVolley Pan America can be found here: https://paravolleypanam.com

Volleyball Canada Media Contact:
Jackie Skender
jskender@volleyball.ca
Mobile: 613-794-7676