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The group stage of the men’s tournament at the Ottawa 2026 IWBF World Championships came to a dramatic close on Sunday, 13 September, with Italy producing the upset of the tournament so far by defeating three-time defending Paralympic champions USA 66–59 at TD Place.
The victory maintained Italy’s unbeaten record, with three wins from three games, and secured them top spot in Group A. The USA finished second with two wins and one defeat. Both teams will now turn their attention to the Round of 16, which begins on Monday, 14 September.
Fresh from winning gold at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the Americans started strongly and established an early 10–2 lead. Italy responded with a suffocating defensive display in the second quarter, restricting the USA to just seven points and taking a 32–25 advantage into half-time.
The USA fought back and briefly regained the lead in the final quarter, but Italy quickly reclaimed control and held firm to close out the victory.
Giulio Maria Papi led the Italian charge with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Andrea Giaretti recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Jorge Salazar scored 19 points for the USA, with Brian Bell adding 18.
Elsewhere in Group A, the Netherlands defeated Brazil 58–45 after overcoming a strong start from the Brazilians. Arie Twigt led the Dutch with 24 points, while Cristiano Clemente scored 21 for Brazil.
Australia underline title credentials
In one of the most highly anticipated fixtures of the group stage, Australia overcame Great Britain 77–59 in a meeting between two of the leading powers in men’s wheelchair basketball.
The Australians controlled the game from the opening stages and secured an important victory heading into the knockout rounds as the winners of Group B.
Tom O’Neill-Thorne starred for Australia with 25 points and 10 assists, while Jaylen Brown recorded 24 points and 11 rebounds. Oscar Knight and Ben Fox led Great Britain’s scoring with 15 points apiece.
In the other Group B fixture, Türkiye defeated Argentina 87–65 to secure third place in the group. Bülent Yılmaz scored 17 points for Türkiye, while Lucas Miller led Argentina with 15.
Canada completed their group-stage campaign with a hard-fought 44–41 victory over Morocco.
Men’s results – 13 September
- Türkiye 87–65 Argentina
- Great Britain 59–77 Australia
- Brazil 45–58 Netherlands
- USA 59–66 Italy
Men’s Round of 16 – 14 September
- 12:15 – Spain vs Morocco, Carleton University
- 12:30 – Germany vs Colombia, TD Place
- 14:30 – Australia vs Brazil, Carleton University
- 14:45 – Canada vs Poland, TD Place
- 16:45 – Italy vs Argentina, Carleton University
- 17:00 – USA vs Türkiye, TD Place
- 19:00 – Great Britain vs Netherlands, Carleton University
- Japan 20–0 Iran (forfeit)
The full schedule, results, team rosters and live statistics are available through the official Ottawa 2026 competition pages. All Round of 16 games can also be watched live on the IWBF and Wheelchair Basketball Canada YouTube channels.
