Canadian wheelchair basketball star Patrick Anderson has been shortlisted for the prestigious Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award.
The 33-year-old Fergus native was on top of his game at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, finishing tops in tournament scoring, averaging 25 points per game, and first in total rebounds with 88.
Team Canada brought home their third gold medal in four Paralympic Games. Anderson tallied a career-high 64 assists in 2012 after averaging 36 assists per tournament through the previous three Paralympic Games. Anderson’s team was named the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association’s team of 2012.
“It’s an honour to be short-listed. That’s going to be a tough group to stand out in though,” Anderson said in a press release. “Win or not, the acknowledgment is a team accomplishment and another feather in the cap of our program and the wheelchair basketball community in Canada.”
Team Canada head coach Jerry Tonello said, “Pat Anderson’s importance to our team rested not only on the individual performances he was able to achieve at the 2012 London Paralympics, but the positive impact he had on the team as a whole.”
The Laureus World Sports Awards recognizes the top sporting achievements from 2012. The awards are on Feb. 6 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the host of the next Paralympic Summer Games. For information visit www.laureus.com.
