IWBF have awarded Japan the rights to host the 2021 Under 23 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship.
The city of Chiba, who successfully hosted the 2015 Asia Oceania Championships, will welcome wheelchair basketball’s most talented young male athletes to its city for the competition.
The decision was made at the IWBF Executive Council board meeting, which took place in Pattaya, Thailand on the 6th and 7th December, following a bid from the Japanese Wheelchair Basketball Federation.
Taking place every four years, this will be the seventh edition of the championship with the previous one taking place in 2017 in Toronto, Canada, which saw 12 teams compete for the title, with Great Britain being crowned champions.
It is the pinnacle competition in the international junior calendar and showcases the elite skill and athleticism of the future generation of stars coming through our junior male athlete programmes.
IWBF President, Ulf Mehrens, said:
“On behalf of the Board of IWBF, I am delighted to announce that the Japanese Wheelchair Basketball Federation have been awarded the rights to host the 2021 Men’s Under 23 World Championship.
“We were delighted to receive their exceptional bid and the IWBF Board is more than satisfied that they will be capable of hosting a successful and thrilling World Championship.
“Having the opportunity to host a major championship in Japan following the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will allow us to capture the excitement and enthusiasm that wheelchair basketball will have generated at the games and be able to help establish a legacy of further international wheelchair basketball events in Japan.”
Japan Wheelchair Basketball Federation President, Toshihiko Tamagawa, said:
“JWBF regard the 2021 U23 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship as one of the most important in the wheelchair basketball calendar and this will be the first time it has ever been held in Asia, which is why we made a bid to host.
“We recognize that the championship will help us to develop wheelchair basketball following Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“We are grateful that we have been given the opportunity to host the championship in Chiba.”
Mayor of Chiba city, Toshihito Kumagai, said:
“It is a great honour for Chiba city to promote wheelchair sports, and the 980,000 Chiba citizens, to host 2021 IWBF Men’s U23 World Championship. We, as a host city, will work together with International Wheelchair Basketball Federation, Japan Wheelchair Basketball Federation, and other related organizations towards a successful games.”
Dates and further information on the qualification tournaments for the 2021 U23 World Championship will be released at a later date.
