(Quebec City, Que. – June 7, 2026) – Ontario captured the gold medal at the 2026 Junior National Championship on Sunday, defeating British Columbia 84-58 at the CEGEP Limoilou Sports Complex in Quebec City, Que.
Holding a 39-32 advantage at halftime, Ontario weathered a third-quarter surge from British Columbia before pulling away in the final frame to secure the national title.
“We talked about it all weekend. Our team was so different four years ago,” said Nasif Chowdhury. “Junior Nationals four years ago was my first-ever tournament. So, to be able to come back and win is huge.”
Ontario completed round-robin play undefeated, capping off a perfect 3-0 record in Pool B with a 60-36 victory over Alberta on Saturday.
The momentum carried into championship Sunday, where Ontario secured its place in the gold medal game with a commanding 97-44 semifinal win over host Quebec.
After finishing eighth at the 2022 Junior National Championship and seventh at the 2023 Canada Games, Ontario’s performance in Quebec City highlighted the program’s significant growth.
“It’s just surreal,” Chowdhury added. “It’s a great feeling. I love being a part of this team – the group we have is special. Being here is awesome.”
For his outstanding performance over the three-day tournament, Chowdhury was named the Most Valuable Player.
“Getting those four early fouls in the first half was scary,” Chowdhury said of his performance in the gold medal game. “But then I toned it down, and I was able to come back and play the whole second half, and I was able to hit some clutch buckets at the right time.
“I’d like to think I helped towards the win.”
For British Columbia, the defeat brought an end to an unbeaten streak that dated back to the 2022 Junior National Championship.
Despite falling short in the final, the defending Canada Games champions were encouraged by the progress shown by their relatively young roster throughout the weekend in Quebec City.
“This tournament was actually the first time all 11 of us ever played together, and for us to pull out a silver medal, I’m really happy with the team, with how we came together,” said tournament all-star Elise Froese. “It felt like we were playing as a family and as one unit.
“It was a really fun tournament. I’m really excited going forward to see how Canada Game is going to shape up with the preparation we have.”
Quebec earned the bronze medal at the 2026 Junior National Championship after Alberta forfeited the third-place game.
Final Standings
- Ontario
- British Columbia
- Quebec
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
MVP and All-Stars
MVP – Nasif Chowdhury (ON)
All-Star – Lucas Floer (SK)
All-Star – Elise Froese (BC)
All-Star – Ibrahim Odza (ON)
All-Star – Cameron Gelowitz (BC)
All-Star – Dylan Cannan (AB)
Full schedule and results, can be found on WBC’s event page.
About the 2026 Junior National Championships
The 2026 Junior National Championship serves as both a test event and a seeding tournament for the 2027 Canada Winter Games. The Junior National Championship is held once every four years as part of the Canada Games quadrennial cycle. Taking place in Year 3 of the cycle, the tournament provides a key competitive opportunity for Canada’s top emerging athletes while helping determine seeding for the Canada Winter Games in Year 4.