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Para sport notebook: Canada qualifies for U23 World Championships in men’s wheelchair basketball

Canadian Paralympic Committee

April 07, 2025

Boccia World Challenger gets underway in Santiago

Team Canada punched its ticket to the Under-23 World Championship with a 55-54 victory over Brazil in Friday’s semifinals at the IWBF Men’s U23 Americas Championship in Bogotá, Colombia.

In the gold medal game Saturday, Canada lost 71-44 to the USA. The top-two countries in the tournament qualified for the U23 worlds.

“It’s great, we’re on to Worlds now. We just made a big step for Wheelchair Basketball Canada again to be able to qualify for the Worlds again,” said head coach Darrell Nordell. “Going through the pandemic and the athletes not playing for a couple of years, for the guys to step up this week, there’s a lot of opportunity for some of these guys in the future with Team Canada. Proud of them all today.”

Brandon Louie paced Canada with a game-high 18 points and three rebounds. Ibrahim Odza added 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, while Broden Broden Nagle chipped in 10 points and three assists in the victory.

“Brandon Louie had the best game of the tournament today,” Nordell added. “He showed why he plays at a college level. He’s played in games like this in the past. We relied on his ability to control our offence and defence and be a calming demeanour.

“Ibrahim, what can you say, a 15-year-old kid, and it’s all lessons learned for him going into the future for Wheelchair Basketball Canada.”

The 2025 Men’s U23 World Championship will take place in São Paulo, Brazil, from June 12-20, 2025.

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Boccia World Challenger event gets underway Monday in Santiago

Action got underway Monday at the 13-country Boccia World Challenger event in Santiago. For many of the 18-member Canadian squad (including competition partners and staff), it’s a return to the Chilean capital which hosted the 2023 Parapan American Games.

They include BC4 Parapan Am Games BC4 and BC4 pairs champions Alison Levine and Iulian Ciobanu of Montreal. Other Paris Paralympians on the team are Lance Cryderman of Val Caron, Ont, Danik Allard of Montreal.

BC 1 Liza Puri (London, ON) and BC 2 athletes Mégane Ravary (Montreal) are making their international debut. BC 3 Alex Lemaire (Kingsey Falls, Que), is Canada’s other competitive entry.

“I discovered a sport that allows me to push my limits,’’ said Ravary. ‘’Boccia has brought me many wonderful encounters, perseverance, and a growing passion in my life. Even today, I train with determination to progress and have enjoyed every moment on the court.”

The competition begins Monday with BC1 and BC2 individual play with the medal ceremony on the 10th. The BC3 and BC4s begin on April 11th with medals on the 14th.

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Team Ontario Black captures gold at the 2025 Junior East Championship

Team Ontario Black edged out Team Ontario Red in an all-Ontario final, securing a 36–31 victory at the 2025 Junior East Championship on Sunday at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre in Charlottetown, PEI.

Simon Mazi-Keep led the charge for Ontario Black with a game-high 25 points, while Tyler Bickford added six in the winning effort.

“It was a great team win for us,” said Ontario Black head coach, Josh Davies. “We went through some adversity early in the tournament, losing a game to Quebec and then we learned from that, we regrouped, and we took all our lessons into this game, we played a solid team game.”

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