The FIMBA GB M70+ team also achieved a highly-credible fifth-place finish, with the GB 35+ women shining to end fourth overall in their category.
With just under 400 teams and over 6,000 participants, the tournament was hosted in the Ticino region of Switzerland across the end of June and the start of July, with teams from Angola to Australia and Mexico to Mongolia.
Eighteen teams from Great Britain competed in age categories ranging from 35+ to 70+, with 10 from FIMBA GB, seven from GB Maxibasketball and one independent GB Wolfpack side.
Overall, nine of the teams ended the tournament with a top-12 finish.
GB Maxibasketball was the most successful British delegation at the championship.
The overall performance of its seven teams was the culmination of a great preparatory season that saw its GB 35+ Men win a World Championship bronze medal with a crushing 102-74 victory over hosts Switzerland in Bellinzona.
Former Ipswich baller, Aaron Moseley, led the scoring, dropping an incredible 40-points in the bronze medal match and was unsurprisingly voted the team's Top Performer of the Championship.
Manchester’s Stefan Gill scored 16 points and Billy Smith (Essex Charge) had 12 points in support.
The GB 35+ Women also secured a World Championship fourth-place medal in their final game against Germany, with creditable performances from Laura Shanahan (15 points) and Sarah Wagstaff (10 points) - both of Cardiff Met Archers - and Manchester's Rehana Khalil, who had nine points.
In another first, the GB Maxis W50+ team faced a very robust and skilled Mongolia team for a place in the quarter-finals.
The lead changed hands every quarter, but boasting a 50% cohort of Scottish ex-international and national level players, it was the British team that ran out winners 51-42 in Lugano.
The team fell short in their bid to make the top-four medal podium against Switzerland, but came back strongly to take seventh-place overall with a 51-46 win over Germany in their final game with great contributions from former 1991 Commonwealth gold medallist, Louise Cooke (16 points), Winchester Royals power forward Anta Riekstina (12 points) and strong rebounding from ex-Scotland international Pamela Norval, who was also named GB Maxis Top Female Performer in their end of tournament awards.
M35: 3rd place medal / 12 teams
F35: 4th place medal / 9 teams
F50: 7th place / 26 teams
F45: 9th place / 20 teams
M50: 12th place / 34 teams
M45: 21st place / 33 teams
M55: 28th place / 39 teams
In their first appearance at a FIMBA World Championship, the independent GB 40+ Men team, nicknamed the Wolfpack, tasted wonderful success, securing a bronze medal in their exciting 99-97 win over Mexico A in Bellinzona.
Meanwhile FIMBA GB Men’s 70+ team finished in a very creditable fifth-place overall having faced a tough quarter-final elimination game, losing 75-27 against eventual gold medal winners the USA Global Masters.
Competing at their first World Championships, there were also respectable finishes for the F35 (8th) F55 (9th) and F40 (13th) teams.
M70: 5th place / 16 teams
F35: 8th place / 9 teams
F55: 10th / 22 teams
F40: 13th place / 20 teams
F50: 18th / 26 teams
M65 (Sapphires) 18th / 31 teams
F60: 21st / 26 teams
M50: 21st / 34 teams
M60 (Diamonds) 36th / 38 teams
M55: 39th / 39 teams
The next stop for the GB Maxibasketball programme is the FIMBA European Championship 2026, which will take place from 26 June to 5 July 2026 in Athens, Greece.
Open training and selection sessions will take place in Nottingham as follows:
Teams for Athens will be selected after the October training camps. Any interested players and staff should get in contact ASAP with GB Maxibasketball using the button below to request a registration form.
Further information about the GB Maxibasketball National Performance Programme can be found using the button below.
.
.
