Basketball:Wheelchair

Wheelchair basketball has enjoyed an explosion in popularity since its beginning in 1946, when disabled veterans in the United States played their first wheelchair basketball games. In the decades following, the sport has spread throughout the world, and by 2006 the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation had 82 member nations in four zones: Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe.

Wheelchair basketball has become part of all major sporting venues in Canada. There are currently over 2000 athletes playing in organized leagues across Canada, governed by the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association(www.cwba.ca).

As a nation, Canada has established itself as a force in international competition. No other sport, other than hockey, has had such success and developed such high expectations on the world stage. The Menıs National Team has won bronze at the Gold Cup World Championships in 1990, 1994, 1998,and 2002. They placed fourth at the Barcelona Paralympics, fifth at the Atlanta Paralympics, reaching the pinnacle in the 2004 and 2005 Paralympics with gold medal performances.

Our Womenıs National Team has won gold three times respectively in 1992,1996, and 2000 at the Paralympic Games. They also won the World Championships in 1994, 1998, and 2002. In the 2004 Paralympic Games, the womenıs team won a bronze medal. The Junior National Team won their first two word championships in 1997 and in 2001.

Sixty-four wheelchair athletes of both genders will compete at McKim Middle School in Kimberley, during the four days of the B.C. Winter Games competitions. Eight officials and twenty coaches will also participate in the event.

The wheelchair athletes are fierce competitors and spectators will be treated to lots of contact, speed and intensity.

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