Toronto, ON, August 14, 2026. For immediate release.
Pickleball Ontario is proud to announce the 22-player roster for Team Ontario, which will compete in the 2026 Provincial Team Competition (PTC) on Thursday, August 27, at Pickleplex Downsview in Toronto. The PTC is held as part of the 2026 IG Wealth Management National Championship (August 24 to 30). This is the event’s second edition, and the first time it’s been hosted on Ontario soil.
Seven provincial teams, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and first time entrant Newfoundland & Labrador, will compete across five event categories: Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Men’s Singles, and Women’s Singles. Ontario enters this year’s competition looking to build on a silver medal finish at the inaugural 2025 PTC in Winnipeg.
Team Ontario is divided into an Open division and a Masters (50+) division. Stephanie Kawamoto will serve as Captain of the Open Team, and Brad Matthews will serve as Captain of the Masters Team. Samir Bhatnagar, a 7-time national medalist and 2025 Team Ontario alum, will serve as Team Ontario’s Coach/Manager.
Fans across the country will be able to follow the action live, with the PTC expected to be streamed online via Pickleball Canada’s YouTube channel: @pickleballca
Meet the 2026 Roster
Masters Division
Men’s Doubles: Brad Matthews, Captain (Cambridge), and Mark Whittrick (Cambridge)
Women’s Doubles: MJ Joostema (Waterloo) and Marylouise Millar (Hamilton)
Mixed Doubles: Marie Aubie (Peterborough) and Steve Robinson
Men’s Singles: Michael Arthur (Mississauga)
Women’s Singles: Genya Stefanoff (Kanata)
Alternates: Leanna Macdonnell (Guelph) and Dilesh Bhullar (St. Davids)
Open Division
Men’s Doubles: Kyle Hermetz (Burlington) and Chad Valcour (Brockville)
Women’s Doubles: Kaitlyn Poncelet (Aurora) and Michelle Li
Mixed Doubles: Mark De Abreu (Ottawa) and Stephanie Kawamoto, Captain (Ottawa)
Men’s Singles: Cole Lester (Peterborough)
Women’s Singles: Michal Kaplan
Alternates: Drew Carrick (Guelph) and Katelyn Hack (LaSalle)
About the Provincial Team Competition
The PTC is now a permanent fixture of the Pickleball Canada National Championship. It features 4.0+ rated players who represent their province, with round robin play followed by quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds. New for 2026, PTC results will also count toward selection into Pickleball Canada’s National Development Program, which raises the stakes for provincial teams across the country this year. Live coverage of the National Championship, including the PTC, is expected to stream via Pickleball Canada’s YouTube channel, so fans who can’t be at Pickleplex Downsview in person can still watch.
About Pickleball Ontario
Pickleball Ontario is the not-for-profit provincial sport organization for pickleball in Ontario. It supports players, clubs, and communities across the province and represents Ontario in national competition.
Media Contact:
Jonathon Moody, President
Pickleball Ontario
info@pickleballontario.org