ISTANBUL (Türkiye) - Venezuela did their country proud by beating Cameroon 71-61 in FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 Classification 15-16 for their first ever victory.
After losing their first six games in their first FIBA U17 World Cup appearance, the South Americans finally got the job done against a Cameroon team also hoping to pick up one win in their maiden U17 global journey.
Carlos Perez led the way with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while Julio Vasquez also had 15 points to go with 6 rebounds and 4 assists for Venezuela, who finished 15th.
Historic!
"I'm truly happy. It's a historic victory for us today in the tournament. We're not leaving with the best feelings because we think we could have played better, but nevertheless, it's a victory," Venezuela head coach Alexis Cedres said afterwards.
"I'm really proud of this team, the staff and the preparation we've done. We made history, even though we didn't achieve what we wanted, but oh well, God knows why he does things. He does things perfectly," said Perez, who also serves as the team captain.
And Vasquez added: "I'm so happy to get the first win in the tournament. Obviously it wasn't what we wanted. We wanted to be in the top eight. But it's okay, it's God's plan."
Venezuela dropped their three games in the Group Phase and then nearly created the biggest upset in FIBA U17 World Cup history as they lost just 78-73 against hosts Türkiye in the Round of 16.
Cedres' team not only is inspiring the next generation of young Venezuelans but also providing the people back home with some much-needed good news after the destructive earthquakes that rocked the country recently.
"This is one of the best things we've done in this tournament: bringing joy to Venezuela because it has not been easy for us. But as Venezolans we always have the custom of moving ahead," said Perez.
"We're giving to our country, which is going through a very difficult time right now. This is solely and exclusively for our country at this moment," added Cedres.
Venezuela finished third at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2025 to book their first spot in the global cadet championship.
FIBA