2023 World Deaf Men's Basketball Champion Team Photo - Team USA

Men's Basketball 8/10/2023 4:21:00 PM

Gallaudet alumni, student-athletes lead Team USA to second consecutive gold at 2023 World Deaf Basketball Championship

HERAKLION, Greece - Team USA successfully defended the gold medal at the 2023 World Deaf Basketball Championship on June 24 in Greece as the men's team defeated Lithuania, in a rematch of the 2019 championship, with a 76-63 victory in the Arena Heraklion.

Team USA went 2-1 during Pool B play with wins over Hong Kong (133-38) and Slovenia (96-69) after it dropped the first game to Israel, 68-67. In the medal round, Team USA defeated Venezuela (77-59) in the quarterfinals and took down Ukraine (68-55) in the semifinal round. The men's world championship, organized by the Deaf International Basketball Federation (DIBF), consisted of 16 teams during the 12-day tournament.

Team USA had several Gallaudet alumni and current student-athletes on the roster. Team USA was led by rising juniors Enow Otto Jr. (Waldorf, Md.) and Blessed Mbogo (Silver Spring, Md.). Gallaudet alumni include Head Coach Jimmy Newsome, team director Jeremias Valencia, Andy Cruz, Jamal Garner, Derek Keels, Preston Kelly, Adam Pagan, Noah Valencia and Steve Valencia-Biskupiak. Incoming GU freshmen Jory Valencia and Zion Ortiz (team manager) were also on the team.

Noah Valencia led all-scorers in the gold medal game with 24 points as he made seven of 12 field goals from the floor and sank five 3-pointers to go with six assists, five rebounds and two steals. Cruz tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds while Mbogo and Jory Valencia scored nine points each.

Noah Valencia was named the tournament MVP while teammate Andy Cruz was selected to the Best Five all-tournament team.

"It was a complete team effort where everybody really stepped up when necessary. Everybody contributed in the victory. The MVP award was nice, but nothing beats the feeling of celebrating a world championship with your teammates," said Noah Valencia. "We played together as if we knew each other's movements. To win basketball games, it is entirely based on chemistry. I loved playing with many familiar faces from my time at GU."

This is the second straight gold medal for Team USA as it won the 2019 world championship to secure gold for the first time. The best Team USA had finished in previous World Deaf Basketball Championships was two silver medal performances (2002, '15). Team USA took bronze in 2007 and didn't medal in 2011. Lithuania has won three World Deaf Basketball Championships (2007, '11, '15).

Team USA's victory secures a spot in the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo, Japan. The next DIBF event is the U21 World Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which will begin on July 17, 2024.

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