SÃO PAULO — Canada’s wheelchair rugby team has qualified for the 2026 World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) Championships after a thrilling 49–48 overtime victory against Colombia to claim bronze at the WWR Americas Championship.

The victory capped off a week of resilience for the Canadians, who competed with a reduced roster size after last-minute player withdrawals. That adversity deepened in the semifinals against host nation Brazil, when one of the team’s top scorers, Rio Kanda Kovac, suffered a broken finger.

“During the first quarter of the game against Brazil, I felt a sharp, sudden pain shoot through my hand,” said Kanda Kovac, of Toronto. “I knew right away it was broken — it was a familiar kind of pain, one I’ve only experienced a few times in my life. There was no doubt in my mind.”

Despite the injury, Kovac stayed on the court and continued playing through the semifinal, which Canada ultimately lost. That defeat set up a must-win bronze-medal match against Colombia — a team they had narrowly defeated earlier in the round robin.

“Before the final game against Colombia, I honestly wasn’t sure if I could play at all,” Kovac said. “The pain was intense, and part of me felt defeated. But I put my trust in our medical team and leaned on the strength of my teammates. I couldn’t leave them out there without me. So I gritted my teeth, forced on my gloves, and committed to giving whatever I had left.”

Colombia held the lead for most of the game, but Canada stayed within striking distance. With seconds left in regulation, Peterborough, Ont.’s Cody Caldwell scored the equalizer to send the match into overtime.

“There was a lot going through my mind — especially the recent passing of my coach, Garett Hickling,” said Kovac. “I grew up hearing legendary stories of him playing through pain, pushing beyond limits. That stayed with me. But more than anything, we had one mission going into that tournament: qualify, no matter what. That’s what fueled me.”

In extra time, Canada rallied again. Kovac contributed on both ends of the floor despite his injury, helping set up the tying score before Windsor, Ont. ‘s Matt Debly completed a final play with just 3.8 seconds left to seal the win.

Debly also delivered the final defensive stop of the game, preventing Colombia from answering back in the dying seconds, securing the win for Canada.

“I am proud of the athletes we brought to the qualifier in Brazil,” said head coach Trevor Hirschfield of Parksville, B.C. “We were able to come together as a team and grind through some close games to reach the goal of qualifying for Worlds.”

Canada’s lineup featured six athletes from the Paris 2024 Paralympic team: Caldwell, Kovac, Rodrigues, Debly, Tony Létourneau of Montreal, and Byron Green of Victoria. Rounding out the roster was veteran Patrice Simard of Quebec City, and Yan Racicot of Montreal.

Racicot was also recognized individually, earning the tournament award as the top player in the 1.5 classification.

“Brazil was a great test for us as a team. We had to come together as a group and overcome adversity, in order to accomplish our main goal of qualifying for next year’s world championships” said team captain Eric Rodrigues of Mississauga. “We gained valuable insights into what we need to work on in order to perform at next year’s competition and will without a doubt be ready to make Canada proud.”

Rodrigues also praised the organizers, saying the Paralympic Training Centre in São Paulo set a high bar for hosting para sport events.

“Our hosts made the tournament and staying at the Paralympic Training Centre an absolute pleasure”, he said. “The Paralympic Training Centre in São Paulo is an example of what can be achieved when government and national federations come together and collaborate to create an environment where any para athlete can stay, train and compete in a world class facility.”

The 2026 WWR World Championships will be hosted in Sao Paulo in August 2026.