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The 2025 IWBF Men’s U23 World Championship, hosted by CBBC Brazil, will take place in São Paulo from 12–20 June 2025. This prestigious event will bring together 12 of the world’s top U23 teams, showcasing the best young talent in wheelchair basketball as they compete for the coveted world title.
The championship will be held at the renowned Centro de Treinamento Paralímpico Brasileiro, a state-of-the-art venue that previously hosted the 2022 IWBF Americas Cup. This exciting week of world-class competition will feature teams from all four IWBF zones, providing a platform for the next generation of elite athletes to shine on the global stage.
Public admission is free, and no tickets are required to attend. We encourage fans, families, and sports enthusiasts to come and witness the thrilling action in person.
The IWBF Men’s U23 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship is an international competition showcasing the best young male wheelchair basketball players from around the world. Zonal qualification tournaments are held in each of the four IWBF Zones (Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia Oceania) to determine the countries that qualify.
The event, held every four years, made its debut in 1997 in Toronto, Canada, and continues to be a platform for the next generation of elite athletes in the sport.
The official group draw for the 2025 IWBF Men’s U23 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship took place on Saturday, 12 April at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, setting the stage for the world’s top U23 national teams to compete for global glory.
Held in conjunction with the IWBF Executive Council meeting, the draw determined the two competition groups for the 12-team tournament. Participating countries were seeded based on their zonal representation and international rankings to ensure a fair and balanced competition.
The proceedings were led by IWBF Competition Commission Member, Don Perriman, with IWBF President Ulf Mehrens and CBBC President Mario Belo drawing the teams. It was a pleasure to welcome host nation representatives CBBC (Confederação Brasileira de Basquetebol em Cadeira de Rodas) to the House of Basketball for this special occasion.
Group A
Australia, Canada, Israel, Germany, Turkey, Brazil
Group B
Japan, USA, Great Britain, Philippines, Italy, South Africa
The official competition schedule will be published once the draw has taken place.
Stay tuned for updates on participating teams, qualification events, and the official competition schedule as we approach this highly anticipated tournament.
The 2025 U23 World Championship will feature teams from all four IWBF zones, with qualification tournaments determining the final participants.
The number of qualification spots was established based on the final standings from the 2021 U23 World Championship in Phuket, Thailand:
The following teams have already qualified:
Europe: GER, GBR, TUR, ISR, ITA
Asia Oceania Zone: AUS, JPN, PHI*
Africa: RSA
Americas: BRA (host), USA, CAN
*Replaced Iran who withdrew from the participation in the competition.
These tournaments provide a valuable opportunity for young athletes to compete at the highest level in their Zones and earn their place at the 2025 U23 World Championship in São Paulo.