Four Nova Scotia men’s goalball athletes have been named to the Canadian Men’s National Goalball team to compete at the World Goalball Championships in Hangzhou, China from June 6 to 16.

Harry Nickerson, 17, Nick Gentleman, 23, Mason Smith, 26, and Peter Parsons, 50, have all been named to the team making up two-thirds of the six player roster.

Parsons is the oldest player to ever make the men’s goalball national team and Nickerson is the youngest player ever to make the men’s national goalball team. 

Their connection in sport is unique. “I have been coaching Harry since he was ten years old,”  Parsons proudly says.  

Nickerson is coached by Parsons on the junior men’s national team who won bronze at the Youth Parapan Ams in Santiago, Chile in November. 

Nickerson is also Parsons’s teammate on the Nova Scotia men’s team, who in May won gold at the 2026 Senior National Goalball Championships goalball in Richmond, BC. Harry was awarded tournament MVP. 

Mason Smith, the 2024 Senior Goalball Nationals MVP last competed internationally at the 2023 Para Panam games where he helped secure bronze for Canada.

Nick Gentleman is making his international debut for Canada. 

“It is really special for me to be named to the team with Harry, Nick and Mason, having recruited and coached them from young ages”, says Parsons, President of Blind Sports Nova Scotia.

The top two teams at the world championships will automatically qualify for the LA28 Paralympics.

Goalball is a Paralympic sport, played by athletes who are blind and visually impaired. 

For interviews with the athletes, contact Peter Parsons at 902 229 8246 or parsons.pete@gmail.com