​

The 1st World Basketball Championships of the Deaf traces its origins back to 2002, when the inaugural tournament was held in Athens, Greece (19–27 July 2002). Eleven (11) men’s national teams and four (4) women’s teams participated. In the men’s final, host nation Greece thrilled home fans with a 93–83 victory over the USA to claim gold, while Slovenia secured bronze with an 85–80 win against Lithuania. On the women’s side, the USA dominated the final against Lithuania, 85–31 to capture gold, and host Greece earned bronze by defeating Ukraine, 73–50.

​

The 2nd World Deaf Basketball Championships was staged in Guangzhou, China (22–30 June 2007), with participation expanding to 16 men’s teams and 9 women’s teams. Lithuania won men’s gold, followed by Greece (silver) and the USA (bronze). In the women’s competition, the USA defended their crown, while Sweden and Greece took silver and bronze. Four years later, the 3rd World Deaf Basketball Championships was staged in Palermo, Italy (16–24 September 2011), featuring 14 men’s and 8 women’s teams. Lithuania repeated as men’s champions, Venezuela earned a historic silver, and Ukraine claimed bronze. On the women’s side, Sweden celebrated their first-ever gold medal, with Lithuania and Ukraine finishing second and third.

​

The 4th DIBF Basketball World Cup (orginally the 4th World Deaf Basketball Championships) took place in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipei (4–12 July 2015). In a dramatic men’s final, Lithuania edged the USA, 78–75 to capture gold, while Russia claimed bronze. In the women’s tournament, the USA earned gold, Lithuania silver, and Ukraine bronze. The 5th edition, hosted in Lublin, Poland (27 June – 6 July 2019), saw USA reclaim the men’s title, with Lithuania taking silver and Ukraine bronze. The women’s competition crowned Greece as champions, followed by Lithuania (silver) and the USA (bronze).

​

Most recently, the 6th World Deaf Basketball Championships was held in Heraklion, Greece (13–24 June 2023). In the men’s tournament, the USA captured gold by defeating Lithuania in the final, while Ukraine secured bronze. On the women’s side, the USA once again stood atop the podium, with Ukraine taking silver and host Greece earning bronze. This marked a historic first for the DIBF, as both the men’s and women’s United States teams won gold medals in the same edition of the World Deaf Basketball Championships.

​

Today, the DIBF Basketball World Cup stands as the pinnacle of international deaf basketball, showcasing the growth, competitiveness, and global spirit of the sport across six memorable editions.