‍TORONTO (Apr. 16, 2025) – Canada Basketball announced Wednesday that Chris Cheng will return as head coach of Canada’s U16 Men’s National Team for the upcoming FIBA U16 Men’s AmeriCup 2025.

“It’s an incredible honour to return as head coach of the U16 Men’s National Team,” said Cheng. “Representing Canada is always an honour and privilege, and I’m especially excited about this year’s group — a talented class of young athletes who are just beginning their international journey.”

Cheng has been involved with Canada Basketball since 2013, holding several roles within the men’s high-performance program. He made his Team Canada debut as a head coach in 2023, winning silver medal at the FIBA U16 Men’s Americas Championship 2023, before reprising his role this past summer as head coach at the FIBA U17 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2024.

Prior to being named head coach in 2023, Cheng served as an assistant coach with the U17 Men’s National Team at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2022 in Malaga, Spain. Since joining the University of Windsor’s men’s basketball team in 2019, Cheng has led the Lancers to multiple playoff appearances in his six seasons as head coach. Before joining Windsor, Cheng was the first-ever head coach for Nipissing University, leading the program to the OUA playoffs in just its third season. Cheng has completed his Train to Compete, Learn to Train, and Train to Train training.

“I’m excited about the staff assembled that will help represent us in this competition. The Easter assessment camp is a key step in the process, and I’m looking forward to evaluating how these athletes compete, connect, and grow as they take their first steps on the FIBA stage,” said Cheng.

Joining Cheng on the staff is Dan Vanhooren, Brad Campbell and Madhav Trivedi, who are all set to serve as assistant coaches at the AmeriCup this summer.

Vanhooren joins the coaching staff after serving as an assistant coach last summer at the FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup 2025, before last coaching for Canada at the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2019. The Stuart W. Aberdeen Memorial Trophy recipient in 2018-19, awarded to the U SPORTS Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year, Vanhooren has been at the helm of the Calgary Dinos program since 2000. In his tenure, he has led the Dinos to five Canada West Championships, in addition to a U SPORTS National Championship in 2017-18. Vanhooren came just short of capturing a second national title, after guiding Calgary to a 16-4 record and a conference banner, before claiming a silver medal at the U SPORTS Final 8 in Victoria.

Campbell will make his national team coaching debut this summer, as he joins Cheng’s staff in Mexico. Campbell has been a part of the Western Mustangs men’s basketball program since 1991, first as a player, before becoming a member of the coaching staff beginning in 1995, and ultimately taking over as head coach in 2006 — a position he’s held ever since. In his role, he has led the Mustangs to three trips to the U SPORTS Final 8 and captured four OUA West titles. His coaching experience also includes a stint with the Guelph Nighthawks, serving as an assistant coach during the 2021 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season.

Trivedi rounds out the coaching staff, as for the first time, he joins Canada Basketball as an assistant coach after serving as a team manager with the National Team more than 10 years ago. Trivedi recently wrapped up his third season at the helm of the Toronto Varsity Blues, after being hired as the program’s head coach prior to the 2022-23 season. Before being named head coach Trivedi spent eight years as an assistant coach in U SPORTS, including three seasons with the Varsity Blues before previously working with both the McGill Redbirds and Queen’s Gaels. Trivedi led the Varsity Blues to the OUA semifinals in 2023-24, after helping the team finish 14-8 in the OUA regular-season – the program’s best record since 2010-11.

The FIBA U16 Men’s AmeriCup 2025 will run June 2-8, 2025 in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Canada has medalled in every edition of the tournament since its instalment in 2009, including a silver medal finish in 2023.

Canada is currently ranked 10th overall in the FIBA boy’s age-group rankings, presented by Nike, following the conclusion of the FIBA 2024 Youth Events.