Australia Wins, but Italy Earns a Historic Silver in Wheelchair Basketball

Italy’s wheelchair basketball team capped off the 2026 World Championships in Ottawa with a historic silver medal. In the championship game, the national team coached by Fabio Castellucci was unable to contain Australia, which won decisively by a score of 81–57. However, the loss in the final does not overshadow the Azzurri’s extraordinary run, as they achieved Italy’s best-ever finish at a world championship.

The team led by Brad Ness—a Paralympic champion as a player at the 2008 Beijing Games and a former player in the Italian league—took control of the game right from the opening minutes. Australia immediately displayed great physicality and excellent shooting percentages, closing out the first quarter ahead 21–14. Italy tried to stay in the game, but in the second quarter, the Aussie Rollers further increased the pace. A 26-17 run allowed the Australians to head into halftime with a 47-31 lead.

After the break, the Azzurri tried to shift the momentum of the final but were unable to slow down the opposing offense. Australia also dominated the third quarter 19-10, effectively sealing the title. With the outcome all but decided, the final quarter was the most evenly matched and ended 15-14 in favor of the Australians, setting the final score at 81-57.

Among the standout players in Australia’s victory was Jaylen Brown, the final’s top scorer with 28 points. Tom O’Neill-Thorne also made a significant contribution, scoring 20 points. For Italy, captain Filippo Carossino led the team with 16 points, while Giulio Maria Papi finished the game with 13.

Despite a final dominated by Australia, this remains an unprecedented result for the Azzurri. Before Ottawa, in fact, the Italian national wheelchair basketball team had never managed to finish in second place at a World Championship. This silver medal rewards the team’s journey and confirms Italy’s growth at the highest international levels of the sport.

Pietro Vultaggio