OTTAWA, ONT. (June 19, 2025) – Team Canada wrapped up its campaign at the IWBF Men’s Under-23 World Championship in São Paulo, Brazil, with a convincing 73-33 win over Israel on Thursday.
With the victory, Canada concludes the U23 Worlds as the ninth seed.
“It’s always good to close out on a winning note,” said Team Canada’s Under-23 Head Coach Darrell Nordell. “The guys take pride in the whole two weeks. Obviously, it was not the finish we wanted, but we knew that once we were out of quarterfinal contention, we wanted to make a statement and at least finish as high as we could.
“I think we showed the last two games that we’re probably better than a ninth-place team.”
Ibrahim Odza led the way with a game-high 22 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
Brandon Louie added 19 points, seven assists, and five steals in the win, while captain Nasif Chowdhury and Broden Nagle each chipped in 12 points at the Centro de Treinamento Paralímpico Brasileiro.
“I put a lot on Chowdhury’s shoulders,” Nordell said. “I learned early on that he was the guy that could handle the load as an athlete, but also as a captain. I think he’s done just a great job.
“He consistently steps forward every time for us, whether it’s on or off the court that other people don’t see. Nasif Chowdhury, for sure, is a true leader.”
Canada opened the game on a 26-0 run and took a 28-5 lead after the first quarter. Odza had 14 points and three assists in the opening frame.
Team Canada extended its lead to 40-18 at the half, shooting 58 per cent from the field over the first two quarters. Nagle contributed six points off the bench before the break.
A dominant third quarter saw Canada outscore Israel 18-6 to carry a 58-24 lead into the fourth.
Canada finished the game shooting 51 per cent from the field while holding Israel to just 14-of-53 shooting.
“Our whole philosophy while we were in Brazil was the more that we could swing the ball in space and demonstrate that we have an outside game that allows us to, at times, go inside,” Nordell explained. “We do have some fairly tall players with Bernard Rosello and Nagle.
“We’re lucky; our athletes that come off the bench are ready to play. They know what we want to do and how we want to play.”
The IWBF Men’s Under-23 World Championship featured the top 12 nations. Canada competed in Group A alongside Australia, Israel, Germany, Türkiye and Brazil.
Traditionally held every four years, the tournament showcases the best young talent in the sport. Athletes must be 22 years of age or younger to be eligible to compete. This year marks the eighth edition of the event. Canada captured back-to-back gold medals in 1997 and 2001.
Complete stats from Thursday’s game can be found here. The tournament schedule and results can be found here.
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Wheelchair Basketball Canada (WBC) is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to excellence in developing, supporting, and promoting wheelchair basketball programs and services from grassroots to high performance for all Canadians. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem worldwide for winning six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal over the last nine Paralympic Games. WBC will host the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships from September 9-19, 2026.
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