Ontario Athletes Win Historic Gold as Members of National Team at U19 FIBA Men’s World Cup

Canada won its first gold medal at a FIBA international competition after defeating Italy 79-60 in the finals of the 2017 U19 FIBA Men’s World Cup on July 9 in Cairo, Egypt.

In the final, R.J. Barrett (Mississauga) led the team with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Another Ontario standout in the final was Abu Kigab (St. Catharines) as he added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Ontario influence in this historic tournament run was clearly evident as the entire starting line-up for the final game was comprised of Ontario athletes. Amidou Bamba (Toronto), R.J. Barrett (Mississauga), Danilo Djuricic (Brampton), Jordan Henry (Toronto) and Abu Kigab (St. Catharines) started for Canada.

Barrett was named tournament MVP after averaging 21.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Barrett is currently ranked as the number one prospect in the class of 2019 by ESPN. Barrett led the Canadian team in points (21.6 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg) throughout the tournament, while Kigab led the team in rebounds (10.6 rpg). Both Barrett and Kigab were named to the All-Star Five of the tournament.

The victory is a tremendous achievement as Canada continues to solidify itself as an international powerhouse in the FIBA men’s youth rankings. The future of Canadian basketball looks bright as it appears to be in good hands.

For more information about the U19 Men’s Junior National Team and for full game recaps, visit the Canada Basketball website.