The Latvia men’s 3×3 basketball national team secured the silver medal at the U-23 World Cup in Uhaņā, finishing second after an 18:19 loss to Lithuania in the championship final on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Seeded second in the tournament, the Latvian roster featured Mārtiņš Bumbieris, Kristofers Karlsons, Dāvis Skreivers, and Mārtiņš Evarts Zviedris.
Path to the Final and Key Performances
Latvia’s run to the title match included dramatic knockout comebacks. In the quarterfinals, the team overcame a deficit to defeat the United States 19:17. They followed that performance with a 21:18 semifinal victory over Australia, again rallying from behind to secure their spot in the final. In the gold-medal game against fifth-seeded Lithuania, Karlsons led the Latvian scoring effort with eight points. Skreivers added five points, Zviedris contributed four, and Bumbieris chipped in one.
Lithuania claimed the victory behind nine points from Pauļus Velutis, who received the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honors. Following the conclusion of the event, Zviedris earned selection to the tournament’s symbolic all-star team.
Tournament Context and Women’s Division Results
The U-23 World Cup featured 20 men’s and 20 women’s national teams divided into four group stages, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. In the women’s bracket, the Latvian U-23 team—comprising Enija Ķīvīte, Marta Leimane, Ieva Korzāne, and Adelīna Urtāne—competed for the podium but fell 14:22 to Spain in the bronze-medal match. The United States women’s team captured the gold medal by defeating Canada 15:10 in the final.
With Saturday’s result, the Latvian men’s U-23 program matched its highest historical finish at the tournament. The nation previously won silver at the inaugural U-23 World Cup in 2018. Last year’s tournament concluded with Lithuania winning the men’s title and the Netherlands claiming the women’s championship.
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