The Wheelchair Basketball World Championships are under way in Dubai with 350 female and male players from 20 nations taking part.
The tournament is being held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region and will run until June 20 at the World Trade Centre in Dubai.
There are 16 male and 12 female teams, with the UAE and Thailand making their debut at the IWBF world games.
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation, a non-profit organisation, is the governing body of wheelchair basketball.
Athletes from around the world are taking part, with teams from Australia, Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Egypt, South Korea, Argentina, the UK, the US, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Japan, China, and Spain competing.
UAE team 'excited' to be part of the championships
UAE coach Abbas Aghakoucheki said the team is ready for the challenge with a good mixture of young and experienced players.
“Participation in recent events in Thailand, Kuwait and training in Turkey was a good preparation for the team,” he said.
UAE player Ibrahim Al Hammadi said the team has prepared well for the tournament.
“The last few weeks, the focus has been on our physical fitness, planning and building on the teamwork,” he said.
“The team is excited to play their first world championships. We will try to put up a good show. The focus will be game by game.”
The UAE is placed second among Gulf countries and won a bronze medal at the Bahrain 2022 West Asia Para Games.
Defending champions
The British men’s and the Netherlands women’s team are defending their world championship titles.
Britain’s Lee Manning said players could not be complacent.
“There's always pressure actually; pressure to be the defending champions, pressure to represent your country, pressure on yourself and your team,” said Mr Manning, who was part of Britain’s winning team in the 2018 Hamburg world championships.
He was also in the squad that won bronze in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“Of course, we want to retain it. But you can’t get ahead of yourself; there's always an upset in the World Championships,” he said.
“So, there can’t be any complacency. Work as hard as we can and if we do all the right things, the result will come our way.”
The 12-day championship has been organised by the Dubai Club for People of Determination.
Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced game played by two teams of five players.
The sport aims to provide opportunities for people with lower limb disability.
The top four finishers in the Dubai games will compete in the European and Asian games this year. This will open the path to qualifying for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The event reflects the UAE’s commitment to organise para-sports and encourage people with special needs to participate in sports to boost participation in local and international events.
Spectators can watch the games free of charge at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The matches can be viewed live on the Dubai Club for People of Determination YouTube page.
