The joint training camp in Nevada comes as a result of Wheelchair Basketball Canada looking to reduce costs so that support staff and equipment travel once rather than twice.

Wheelchair Basketball Canada is well funded having received $1.4 million (£880,000/€1.1 million) from the Own the Podium programme last year, as well as $368,000 (£237,500/€286,750) from Sport Canada but the organisation was forced to pay out extra last year when around half of the team and staff were snowed in at Chicago on their way to a training camp in Winnipeg.

"When our team got stranded in Chicago, it ended up costing us," said Wheelchair Basketball Canada spokesman Jody Kingsbury.

"By the time they finally arrived, half the week was gone, not to mention, the women were dead tired.

"But this is a Paralympic year and it's important to have everyone at the camp in the best shape to perform and to evaluate them.

"I think the joint camp is a great idea both for costs and to get the players in the best shape ahead of London 2012."

Wheelchair Basketball Canada executive director Wendy Gittens says the cost to stage the dual training camps in Las Vegas is comparable to what it would cost to stage a similar event in Vancouver.

"It's less costly to fly athletes within the United States," she said.

"The dollar exchange rate is negligible these days and in Las Vegas we have the added benefit of warm weather training for athletes which we do not have in Canada right now."

The 18 men and 19 women who will travel for the camps are scattered across the globe.

Five men play professionally in Europe on various teams, while three women play for the Trier Dolphins in Germany and four women are currently enrolled and play for the University of Alabama.

In total, some 16 of the 24 national-team athletes are pursing full-time training opportunities outside of Canada.

"They have semi-pro wheelchair basketball leagues in Europe," Kingsbury said.

"We don't have anything comparable in Canada.

"We have more recreational leagues."

Both teams are expected to be serious medal contenders at London 2012

The Canadian men were the silver medallists at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics and have won gold in the two previous Paralympics, while the women's team won three consecutive Paralympic gold medals in 1992, 1996 and 2000, as well as a bronze in 2004.

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