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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 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.