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Gold Cup Winners Established
Photos: IWBF © Bob Szyman 2002
Simon Munn (Great Britain) shoots over USA's Jeff Glasbrenner
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During the 2002 Kitakyushu Gold Cup in Kitakyushu,
Japan, the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
(IWBF) crowned its men’s and women’s world champions.
On the women’s side, Canada beat the USA 49:38, to claim
its third consecutive world title and to match its three
Paralympic gold medals of 1992, 1996 and 2000. No team
in the world can boast such success over a period of more
than a decade, as the Canadian women, under the leadership
of head coach Tim Frick. USA’s silver medal was a
huge jump up from its 5th place finish at the Sydney 2000
Paralympic Games, although they finished second to
Canada in the 1998 Gold Cup. Australia claimed third
place with a 61:47 victory over Japan. The women’s All-
Star Five title was given to Tracey Ferguson and Jennifer
Krempien (Canada), Chica Uemura and Mika Takabyashi
(Japan) and Christina Ripp (USA). Jen Warkins (USA) was
honoured as Most Valuable Player.
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On the men’s side, USA defeated Great Britain 74:61, to
retain its title of world champion. Prognosticators had
Australia and Canada playing for the title, but superb semifinal
efforts (USA vs. Canada 75:68 and Great Britain vs.
Australia 61:59) resulted in Canada and Australia playing
for third place. Canada won the third place game, 67:48.
Named the men’s All-Star Five were Eric Barber and Will
Waller (USA), Simon Munn and Jon Pollock (Great Britain)
and Patrick Anderson (Canada). Paul Schulte (USA) received
the title of Most Valuable Player.
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The IWBF elected several members to its Executive Council
for the 2002-2006 quadrennium, among others: Maureen
Orchard (CAN) as President and Greg Love (AUS) as Vice-
President. Six national organizations governing Wheelchair
Basketball received their IWBF affiliate membership by
vote during the Third World Congress. They are: Cameroon,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Singapore and Zimbabwe.
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Brazil's Marcos Silva shoots a left-handed lay-up against Israel
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Robert J. Szyman
IWBF Secretary General
Phil Craven Receives Important Wheelchair Basketball Award
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The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
(IWBF) presented a prestigious Wheelchair Basketball
award, the Gold Medal Triad, to four individuals this
summer. The four include International Basketball
Federation (FIBA) Secretary General Borislav Stankovi,
retiring IWBF President and current IPC President
Phil Craven, retiring IWBF Vice-President Armand
“Tip” Thiboutot and a Wheelchair Basketball player
from Japan, Kyoko Tsukamoto.
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Armand Thiboutot and Kyoko Tsukamoto
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A fruitful co-operation has long joined
Phil Craven and Borislav Stankovi
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“Phil Craven will serve as a symbol that players cannot
only become stars on the court, but that players possess
the ability to capably govern their game, a game invented
by players,” said IWBF Vice-President Thiboutot.
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As a player Craven demonstrated great passion, uncommon
competitiveness and shooting ability. He went on to become
one of the greatest players IWBF has ever seen. As
chairman of IWBF’s Player Classification Commission from
1984-1988, Craven liberated player classification from
medical dominance. This liberation may have been Craven’s
greatest achievement. When elected as IWBF president
in 1988, Craven led IWBF to become an independent,
self-determined international sports federation and was
equally instrumental in advancing the status of Wheelchair
Basketball within FIBA. As Craven has held the position
of IPC President since December 2001, he did not stand
for re-election as IWBF-President.
Robert J. Szyman
IWBF Secretary General
  
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