London 2012 Wheelchair Basketball: What to Watch

With 10 action-packed days of Wheelchair Basketball at London 2012, here is a quick guide for what spectators should look out for each day. 18 Jun 2012

Mexico’s women’s Wheelchair Basketball team are qualified for the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games.

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By IPC

The bronze and gold-medal games in the women’s competition will bring fans from all over into North Greenwich Arena. The atmosphere is bound to be electric, as Germany, USA, Canada and Australia are all top picks for gold in London.

Here is a complete rundown to help you plan what to watch at the London 2012 Wheelchair Basketball competition so you can plan your schedules accordingly.

30 August

The first day of the Wheelchair Basketball competition opens with Turkey’s men’s team facing USA – a matchup many believe could give one of the squads enough momentum to start off the tournament on a high and roll into the medal round. On the women’s side, be sure to keep your eyes on the nightcap game between Mexico and China, both of whom have the potential to pull some upsets at the Games as underdogs.

31 August

There are three games on this second day that you will not want to miss. At the Basketball Arena, action begins with Colombia’s men’s team – shock silver medallists at the 2011 Parapan American Games – taking on a youthful squad from Germany. The match will be followed by what many believe could be the gold-medal game on the women’s side, as world No. 1 USA takes on world No. 2 Germany. In the evening, Canada’s men will challenge host nation Great Britain, a matchup that is bound to fill up the North Greenwich Arena and get spectators backing Jon Pollock, Ian Sagar and Terry Bywater on the home team.

1 September

Be sure to catch an Australian double-header on this day at the Basketball Arena, as the Aussie women take on Canada in a game that has the potential to look like one of the semi-finals later in the competition. Australia is led by sharp-shooting Cobi Crispin and Sarah Stewart, and Canada will be anchored by Cindy Ouellet and Tracey Ferguson. The Aussie men, meanwhile, are the defending Paralympic champions and will face a feisty Spanish team to end the night.

2 September

The men’s matchup between South Africa and Italy at the Basketball Arena will allow spectators the chance to watch teams they may not have heard as much about before, and many could be surprised by how talented the South African squad have become. The obvious game to go and see at North Greenwich Arena will be the men’s match between world No. 1 Australia and USA, who will be fielding their best team in more than a decade.

3 September

Do not overlook the Netherlands and Brazil’s women’s team when they play each other at the Basketball Arena on this day. Both enter London 2012 as underdogs, but that means that with little pressure on them they could pull some surprises and end up on the podium. On the men’s side, host nation Great Britain will face a Japanese team that have risen up the world rankings lately and showed at the BT Paralympic World Cup that they can hang with some of the best.

4 September

It is time for the play-offs, everyone. The quarter-final round begins in the women’s competition, with the top eight teams from the pool of 10 playing to stay alive. Germany, Australia, USA and Canada will be the ones to beat.

5 September

The men’s quarter-finals will take place on this day, with the top eight teams from the pool of 12 on the brink of elimination. Australia, USA, Canada and Great Britain have been deemed the favourites by many to advance.

6 September

The competition really heats up with the semi-finals taking place in both the men’s and women’s events. Many of our questions will be answered on this day. Will Brad Ness and Australia’s men’s team look good enough to defend their Paralympic gold or will Canada’s rise and the return of Patrick Anderson be too much for them? How will Edina Mueller and Germany’s women perform after having a stellar start to 2012 or can Becca Murray and USA’s women knock them off and claim gold once again?

7 September

The bronze and gold-medal games in the women’s competition will bring fans from all over into North Greenwich Arena. The atmosphere is bound to be electric, as Germany, USA, Canada and Australia are all top picks for gold in London.

8 September

Do not miss this day, as the men’s bronze and gold-medal matches unfold in what is a sure bet to be one of the top highlights of the London 2012 games. Australia will aim to defend their title with squads from Canada, USA and Great Britain in the hunt for gold as well.