Wheelchair Basketball: On Track for the 2002 Kitakyushu Gold Cup
The Japanese Wheelchair Basketball Federation (JWBF) and International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) have signed the contract for the 2002 Kitakyushu Gold Cup. The JWBF has involved an incredible array of organizations to support the event. They include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Education, Culture and Science Ministries, the Health and Welfare Ministries, and members of the Diet. On the prefecture level, the Educational Agency, the Police Agency and prefectural assembly members are involved. Kitakyushu City, its Board of Education and municipal assembly members have joined this great cooperative effort. The JWBF heads an impressive list of sports organizations committed to the success of the Gold Cup.
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The 2002 Kitakyushu Gold Cup marks only the second time that the men’s world wheelchair basketball championship and the women’s wheelchair basketball championship will be played concurrently in the same venue. The Energy Australia Gold Cup (Sydney 1998) was the first Gold Cup to feature both women’s and men’s world championships. The USA is the reigning world champion on the men’s side and Canada holds the women’s world championship crown.
The IWBF Executive Council approved the distribution of the eight women’s team berths for the 2002 Kitakyushu Gold Cup as recommended by IWBF’s Competitions Commission. Japan, bronze medallist at the Sydney Paralympic Games, has an automatic berth as host. IWBF assigned three berths to the IWBF Americas Zone, two to the IWBF European Zone and one to the IWBF Asia/Oceania Zone. The Competitions Commission is holding one berth in reserve.
The teams will meet in the 5,240-seat Kitakyushu Municipal General Gymnasium. The venue will be well-used by wheelchair basketball players before August 2002. The IWBF Asia/Oceania Zone will hold its Gold Cup qualifying tournament there from 12 to 18 November. Two teams will qualify for the Gold Cup from this event. The qualifying tournament will serve as an excellent test event for the Kitakyushu organizing committee.
Dr. Robert J. Szyman
Secretary-General, International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF)
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