Canada’s men’s wheelchair basketball team faced a setback in their quest for a gold medal at the world championships, losing 79-65 to Poland in Ottawa. Despite trailing by 11 points going into the final quarter, Canada struggled to score while Poland effectively defended against Colin Higgins. Poland’s Mateusz Filipiski stood out, achieving a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.
The Canadian team last won a men’s world title two decades ago in Amsterdam and secured a bronze medal when Edmonton hosted the tournament in 1994. In contrast, Poland, which had never medaled in the men’s world tournament, is set to play in the quarterfinals after their victory. Poland’s strong performance was evident as they outscored Canada in shooting percentage and rebounds, dominating the field with a 53% shooting accuracy compared to Canada’s 36% and outrebounding them 49-38.
Despite a valiant effort from Canada’s Nik Goncin, who scored 22 points, and Higgins, who contributed 17 points, Poland’s Andrzej Macek and Dominik Mosler led their team to victory with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Marek Wesolowski also played a key role in Poland’s success, scoring nine points, seven of which came in a third quarter where Poland outscored Canada 25-14. The game was closely contested, with both teams missing crucial scoring opportunities throughout the match.