The 17th World Maxibasketball Championship in Switzerland turned out to be a historic moment for Canadians as the country’s athletes returned with their first-ever FIMBA gold medal.
This federation for people at least 30 years old who still wish to compete at a high level of basketball recently held its bi-annual international tournament, with 45 countries sending a total of almost 400 teams to compete.
The age divisions ranged from 30 to 70 years old for females and 30 to 85 years old for the men, with Canada sending three teams to compete in the men’s 55+, 60+, and 65+ divisions.
Among these Canadian competitors was Abbotsford’s Simon Gregory and Mission’s Peter Morris, who helped bring the 60+ men’s team to a gold medal win for the first time ever.
This Canadian squad began the tournament with an impressive 78-44 win over Germany, which they followed up with a much tougher win in the quarter-finals, this time beating Italy 66-55.
In the semifinals, Canada managed to box out Slovenia, beating them 59-48 and advancing to the finals against Serbia.
It was a tight race to the title, with Serbia going toe-to-toe with the Canadians. However, the Maple Leaf warriors were able to hold strong and emerged as division champions with a final score of 67-63.
Being part of the first Canadian team to earn a title at the Maxibasketball Championships was a moment that will stick with Gregory for the rest of his life.
“It was amazing to have the opportunity to pull on a Team Canada jersey and represent my country at the World Championships,” Gregory said.
“Being able to contribute to winning Canada’s first-ever FIMBA gold medal was an immensely proud moment that is still sinking in. Being part of a great group of players from across the country who all put winning as a team first was incredibly satisfying.”
Now that they’re back at home, Gregory and Morris will continue to play together and keep their skills sharp in their regular basketball league in Abbotsford.
The other two Canadian teams at the 17th World Maxibasketball Championship saw mixed success, with the 55+ men’s team achieving a dominant 75-25 win over Spain in the opening match. Unfortunately, they were unable to get a win in the quarter-finals, suffering a 94-61 loss against Brazil.
The 65+ men’s team suffered a similar fate, beating Austria 68-22 in the opening round, but then losing to the U.S. by a score of 65-48 in the quarter-finals.





