Six African wheelchair basketball teams aim for Worlds

The majority of wheelchairs being used for the event were produced by Motivation UK, a long-standing partner of the Agitos Foundation, which is the development arm of the Paralympic Movement.

The IWBF Men’s African Wheelchair Basketball Championships kick off on Saturday (26 October) in Luanda, Angola, where six teams will vie to qualify for next year’s World Championships.

Defending African champions South Africa and host nation Angola will be challenged by teams from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Nigeria.

South Africa were the only men’s team from Africa to qualify for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where they failed to medal.

The tournament will begin with a tough matchup of South Africa against Egypt and will run through 2 November. The winner of the event will automatically qualifying for the 2014 IWBF World Championships, which will be held in Incheon, South Korea, from 1-2 July.

The majority of wheelchairs being used for the event were produced by Motivation UK, a long-standing partner of the Agitos Foundation, which is the development arm of the Paralympic Movement.

“This event is an amazing chance for us to promote and develop Paralympic Sport in Angola and across the continent,” said Leonel da Rocha Pinto, President of the Angolan and African National Paralympic Committee.

“We are very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to a competitive event. Our recent partnership has allowed us to bring in 50 basketball wheelchairs for this competition which will remain as legacy of the event to strengthen the sport in the region. We are very thankful for the support and look forward to continued partnerships.”