Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Spurred on by dreams of taking part in the next Paralympic Games, an 11-member team of wheelchair athletes will match their skills with some of the world's best at the Spitfire Wheelchair Basket-ball Competition in Ontario, Canada, tomorrow.

According to coach of the team, Errol Williams, who one day hopes to see the nation capable of sending a wheelchair basketball team to the Olympics, the tournament will give the team a chance to see just how far they have progressed.

"I think we have got better every year and it is a lot stronger than it was years ago," Williams said. "The guys are confident and we are hoping to have a good tournament against some of these very tough teams."

Improve record

Williams was himself part of a team that took part in the Spitfire Games in 2005. On that occasion, the team played six games but lost four. It is a record Campbell hopes they will be able to better this time around, but insists they are still in building stages.

"I am sure that we will be able to take part in the Games, maybe some time soon," Williams said. "However, right now we are still in the early stages, just basically looking to build up the team, you could say."

Absentees

The team will have to do without two of their best players, Para-lympic gold medallists Alphanso Cunningham and world record holder Tanto Campbell.

Both are preparing to take part in the September games. Other members of the team are Kevon Reid, Steve O'Connor, Kirt Walcott, Joel Brown, Bryan Ingram and Dennis Cunningham.

This year's tournament will see some 20 teams, including hosts Canada, looking to sharpen their skills ahead of the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, in September.