Photo by Vincent Ethier/COC
Photo by Vincent Ethier/COC

Coby Iwaasa

Biography

Coby Iwaasa made his elite international debut at the 2014 Pan American Championships. Iwaasa was a member of the men’s team that won bronze at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games. He took a hiatus from racquetball following those Games, but upon his return he continued to make his mark. His international results are highlighted by his success at the 2022 IRF World Championships where he won bronze in men’s doubles with Samuel Murray and was a member of the men’s team that won silver.

Iwaasa also has had podium success with Murray at the Pan American Championships, winning men’s doubles gold in 2022 and silver in 2019.

In 2013, as a 15-year-old, Iwaasa had his first elite national podium result, winning the Canadian open men’s doubles championship title and a bronze medal in open men’s singles. Since then, he has been on the podium at every national championship he has competed in and holds four men’s doubles open championship titles and one men’s singles championship title. He is the only player in Canadian history to win both the Open and U-18 singles and doubles championship titles in the same year.

Although Iwaasa is not a regular on the pro tour circuit, he has found success when he has played. In 2015, he won a World Racquetball Tour (WRT) event and in May 2015, he had his highest finish at a Tier 1 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event, advancing to the quarterfinals.

Iwaasa won nine medals in his five Junior World Championship appearances, highlighted by the U-16 world singles title in 2012.  

A Little More About Coby

Getting into the Sport: Started playing racquetball at age 9 when his parents introduced him to the sport… Outside Interests: Enjoys ballroom dancing, especially swing… Plays the piano and likes to read… Loves boating… Completing his chiropractor training at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: “The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus”… Role model is Bruce Lee… Says a prayer before competing…

 

Notable International Results

Pan American Games: 2019 – Quarterfinals (singles), Quarterfinals (doubles), Quarterfinals (men’s team); 2015 – BRONZE (men’s team), Quarterfinals (singles) IRF World Championships: 2022 – SILVER (men’s team), BRONZE (doubles); 2021 – Quarterfinal (doubles); 2018 – Round of 16 (singles) Pan American Championships: 2023 – Quarterfinals (doubles), Round of 16 (singles); 2022 – GOLD (doubles), Quarterfinals (team); 2019 – SILVER (doubles), Round of 16 (singles); 2014 – Round of 16 (singles) IRF World Junior Championships: 2014 – BRONZE (18U singles), Quarterfinals (18U doubles); 2013 – BRONZE (16U singles), BRONZE (16U doubles); 2012 – GOLD (16U singles), SILVER (16U doubles); 2011 – BRONZE (14U singles), BRONZE (14U doubles); 2010 – BRONZE (14U singles), BRONZE (14U doubles)