.png){kind=small}
The Ottawa 2026 IWBF World Championships officially began on Wednesday, 9 September, with nine games bringing the two competition venues - the Arena at TD Place and Carleton University - to life in the Canadian capital.
The highlights of the opening day were undoubtedly the victories for both Canadian teams, much to the delight of the home crowd. In the women’s tournament, Canada overcame Spain 76–51, while the men’s team defeated Morocco 74–51. Both games were played at TD Place.
Canada’s women’s and men’s teams followed similar scripts in their opening games: some early nerves—understandable in matches surrounded by such high expectations—followed by strong performances to close out comfortable victories.
The Canadian women faced Spain in front of friends, family and supporters from across Ottawa at TD Place. The hosts fell eight points behind during the first quarter, but gradually regained control and moved ahead before half-time. Canada then took complete command of the game in the second half.
Arinn Young was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points, while also contributing eight rebounds and six assists. Kady Dandeneau was not far behind, recording a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
“I’m very happy with our win today. The first half was a little bit rocky; it was just our nerves that really got to us. But once we settled down and realised it’s the same sport we have been playing for 10 years, we hit the ground running, and it was an easier game after that,” Young reflected.
The Canadian men, meanwhile, were involved in a closely contested game against Morocco during the opening two quarters. The African champions challenged the hosts and led on several occasions before going into half-time trailing by just two points, 34–32.
Canada emerged from the dressing room with a more aggressive approach, particularly in defence, and restricted Morocco to just four points in the third quarter. From that point, the hosts took control and left the Moroccans with no opportunity to mount a comeback.
Team captain Colin Higgins delivered the standout performance, coming close to a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Nikola Goncin was also instrumental, finishing with 24 points and seven rebounds.
“This first game here was something some of these guys have been looking forward to for a long time—to play in front of family and friends here at home. It wasn’t pretty at the start, but we were able to settle in and play more of our game in the second half. We were more aggressive on chairs and on defence, pushing them out a bit, and we were able to generate some calmer looks on offence, which led to some easy points,” Higgins explained.
Japan Bring the Opening-Day Drama
Japan’s teams were involved in two of the day’s most closely fought contests.
In the men’s tournament, Japan produced an impressive fourth-quarter comeback against Poland, overturning a seven-point deficit to secure a 71–63 victory in their opening game.
The Japanese women attempted to repeat their compatriots’ comeback against Germany, but their efforts fell just short as the European side held on for a 58–54 victory.
Elsewhere in the men’s tournament, Spain opened its campaign with a comfortable victory over Colombia. Germany was also awarded a 20–0 forfeit victory following Iran’s withdrawal from the competition.
In the women’s tournament, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the USA recorded commanding wins over Algeria, Brazil and France respectively. China also began its campaign with a victory, establishing an eight-point lead over Australia in the opening quarter and remaining in front throughout the game.
Results – 9 September
Men’s Tournament
Spain 83–54 Colombia
Japan 71–63 Poland
Germany 20–0 Iran (forfeit)
Morocco 51–74 Canada
Women’s Tournament
Netherlands 93–17 Algeria
Germany 58–54 Japan
Brazil 41–78 Great Britain
China 48–37 Australia
France 27–94 USA
Spain 51–76 Canada
Matches – 10 September
Men’s Tournament
10:00 – Italy vs Brazil (Carleton University)
10:15 – USA vs Netherlands (TD Place)
12:15 – Australia vs Argentina (Carleton University)
12:30 – Great Britain vs Türkiye (TD Place)
Women’s Tournament
14:30 – Australia vs Canada (Carleton University)
14:45 – Brazil vs Spain (TD Place)
16:45 – USA vs Germany (Carleton University)
17:00 – Japan vs Netherlands (TD Place)
19:00 – Algeria vs France (Carleton University)
19:15 – China vs Great Britain (TD Place)
Follow All the Action
Fans can find the full schedule, results, standings, team information and live statistics on the official Ottawa 2026 event page. All games are available to watch live on the IWBF and Wheelchair Basketball Canada YouTube channels. Follow IWBF on social media for the latest scores, highlights, photos and updates throughout the Championships.
