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Ottawa2026 will host the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, bringing together the world’s best athletes in a once-in-a lifetime competition.
From September 9-19, 2026, Ottawa will become the global epicenter of wheelchair basketball, showcasing the skill, resilience, and athleticism of 336 athletes from 28 teams (16 men’s and 12 women’s teams) across the world.
The Championships will follow the provisional schedule below:
The Official Draw for the Ottawa 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships took place on 11 June 2026, determining the group stage pools for both the men's and women's competitions.
Group A
Brazil, China, Great Britain, Australia, Spain, Canada
Group B
United States, Japan, Netherlands, Algeria, Germany, France
Group A
United States, Italy, Brazil, Netherlands
Group B
Australia, Great Britain, Türkiye, Argentina
Group C
Spain, Japan, Poland, Colombia
Group D
Morocco, Germany, Iran, Canada
The group stage will be played from 9–15 September 2026, with teams competing for places in the knockout rounds as they pursue the world championship title.
Tickets for the Ottawa 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships are available now. For tickets, event information, travel details and the latest updates, visit the official Ottawa 2026 website and start planning your World Championships experience.
Official Event Website: https://ottawa2026.ca
The IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championship is the largest international wheelchair basketball competition featuring the best men’s and women’s national teams from around the world. Held every four years, it is the pinnacle event for the sport.
The tournament began with the first unofficial Men’s World Championships in 1973 in Bruges, Belgium, which also hosted the first official Men’s World Championships, known as the Gold Cup, in 1975. The Women's World Championships followed 15 years later, debuting in 1990 with eight teams competing in St. Etienne, France.
Teams earn their place in the championship by qualifying through zonal tournaments, held across the IWBF's four Zones—Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia Oceania—making this event a true global showcase of talent and competition.