Ibrahim Odza led Canada with 18 points in a come-from-behind victory
OTTAWA, ONT. – Team Canada battled back to earn a 53-51 win over Colombia in men’s 5-on-5 play at the 2025 Youth Parapan American Games on Monday, improving to 3-0 in Santiago, Chile.
Canada turned up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter, limiting Colombia to just six points.
Ibrahim Odza led all Canadian scorers with 18 points and six rebounds, while Nasif Chowdhury posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Thai Milton added 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting off the bench, and Brandon Louie contributed eight points and 10 rebounds.
Having played Colombia closely at the IWBF Men’s U23 Americas Championship in April, coach Darrell Nordell knew Monday’s matchup would be a challenge.
“We knew going in was going to be a real test as we only beat them by 14 at the Americas Championship,” Nordell said. “We also knew that playing good defence would win the game.”
Canada battled hard through the third quarter but trailed 45-41 heading into the final frame.
Despite Colombia edging the quarter 18-14, Canada’s energy and ball movement kept the momentum within reach entering the fourth.
Canada and Colombia were tied 27-27 at halftime.
Odza led the way with 11 points and four rebounds, while Chowdury added eight and six. Thai Milton chipped in four points off the bench through two periods.
Canada’s rebounding and defensive pressure helped limit Colombia’s momentum heading into the break.
Team Canada jumped out to a 19–15 lead over Colombia after the opening quarter, paced by a balanced offensive effort. Odza led the way with nine points on 57 per cent shooting, including a three-pointer, while Chowdhury added six points and five rebounds to give Canada an early boost inside. Canada’s defence held firm, limiting Colombia to 50 per cent shooting.
Canada closed the first strong, using a late 6–0 run to carry momentum into the second period.
Full stats from Monday’s game against Colombia can be found here.
Women’s 3×3: Canada stays perfect with two more wins in Santiago
Team Canada continued its dominant run in women’s 3×3 play on Monday morning, picking up a pair of convincing victories to improve to 4-0 at the Youth Parapan American Games.
Canada opened the day with a 16-5 win over Argentina before rolling to a commanding 16-1 victory against host nation Chile.
“Playing Argentina, one of the stronger teams in the tournament, we came in really excited and ready to play them,” said Elise Froese. “We started strong, hard on chairs, and we stuck to our game plan throughout the day.”
Through four games, Froese said the team’s chemistry has continued to grow with each outing.
“I definitely think we’ve learned to play together a little bit better as the tournament has gone on,” Froese said. “We’ve never played 3×3 together, so it’s really fun to play with these girls. We know where each other is going to be on the court now, and we’re getting used to playing with each other.”
Team Canada wraps up round-robin play on Tuesday at 3:50 p.m. EST against Brazil. Semifinal action in the women’s 3×3 competition begins at 4:40 p.m. EST.
Approximately 3,800 athletes, aged 12 to 23, from 20 countries, are competing in 12 sports at the 2025 Youth Parapan American Games.
The 2025 Games are the sixth edition of the event, which was first held in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 2005. Subsequent editions took place in Bogotá (2009), Buenos Aires (2013), and Bogotá (2023), following the postponement of the 2021 Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The complete schedule and results from the 2025 Youth Parapan American Games can be found here.