TORONTO (March 1, 2023) – Canada Basketball and Lazeez Shawarma, an authentic Middle Eastern & Mediterranean food chain based in the GTA with over 55+ locations across Canada, today announced an exciting multi-year partnership that establishes Lazeez Shawarma as the Official Shawarma of Canada Basketball. 

“We are very excited to be part of Canada Basketball and support them in their success,” said Sahib Rana, Co-Founder of Lazeez Shawarma.  “At Lazeez, we are so proud to be a Canadian company and looking forward to continuing to be part of communities across this great country.”  

“Just like Canada Basketball is uniting Canadians with basketball, Lazeez is uniting Candians by taste. We’ll be there at every game cheering on Team Canada,” Rana said.

The partnership will see Lazeez Shawarma become an official supporter of Canada’s Senior Men’s and Women’s National Teams, age-group teams, as well as involved at upcoming Canada Basketball events, hosted domestically in Canada.

Lazeez Shawarma will also be on-site this summer at the GLOBL JAM FESTIVAL, presented by Flair Airlines, at Yonge-Dundas Square.  The GLOBL JAM FESTIVAL, presented by Flair Airlines, will be a celebration of basketball, local art, and culture and will host the 3×3 Canada Quest National Championships, a celebrity charity game and community court, as well as vendor market, food trucks, music and more.

“We’re excited to welcome Lazeez Shawarma to our Canada Basketball team,” said Michael Bartlett, President and CEO of Canada Basketball. “As we prepare for what will undoubtedly be an exciting year for Canada Basketball, having the support of committed partners such as Lazeez is essential to not only the growth of the sport but in helping us achieve our goal of being a podium contender every time we step on the court.”

Canada Basketball players and alumni will be on hand at the Lazeez Shawarma location in Scarborough (1571 Sandhurst Cir #508, Toronto, ON M1V 1V2) from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the announcement.

About Canada Basketball

Canada Basketball is the National Sporting Organization for the sport of basketball in Canada. Canada Basketball is respected worldwide and is recognized by the International Amateur Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Government of Canada as the sole governing body of the sport of amateur basketball in Canada. Canada Basketball, a not-for-profit organization, represents all basketball interests, provides leadership, coordination and direction in all areas of the sport of basketball.

About Lazeez Shawarma

The Lazeez story begins with the universal passion for great taste. The founders, while each having different and unique stories, backgrounds and personalities, found a strong connection over their common love for great tasting Middle Eastern food.This connection united them in a vision to share the cuisine that they loved so much with the community they cherished. The first “Lazeez” in Mississauga opened in 2013 with a menu focused on authentic flavours, freshness and above all, great taste.Spiced to perfection, marinated right, and topped with signature sauces, Lazeez hits the local taste buds.  Lazeez has since become the go-to place for those who love the delicious flavours of the Middle East; and as we have learned, that’s pretty much everyone.

-30-For more information, contact:
Matt Walker, mwalker@basketball.ca