Wheelchairs ‘warmed up’ for upcoming West Asia basketball tournament

AMMAN — The third wheelchair basketball tournament for West Asian clubs concluded last Thursday with a friendly game aiming at “warming” players’ wheelchairs for the coming West Asia Qualifying Tournament for Asian Para Games hosted in Jordan, according to organisers.

 “This annual tournament is the first of its kind in the region where clubs, not only national teams, can join and play to showcase their potentials, sharpen their skills and exchange expertise with other teams” Mohammad Al Khazalah, director of the Jordanian club “Ajial Al Ghad”, told The Jordan Times.

The third edition of the club tournament, organised by Jordanian club “Ajial Al Ghad” in coordination with the Asia Oceania International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF), has witnessed the participation of two Jordanian clubs, one Omani and one Palestinian.

The Jordanian club “Ajial Al Ghad” came in the first place, the Omani club in second, and the Palestinian in third. 

“This game is not meant for announcing winners or qualifying teams, but for the sake of empowering wheelchair players physically, socially and psychologically through sports,” Khazalah commented.

For Anisa Al Hooti, Vice President of Asia Oceania IWBF, “disability is never a matter of physical impairment only, as some souls, minds and even ideas might be ‘disabled’, so to me, these young men have beat their disabihties by taking part in such activities”.

Player Amer Lafi said the tournament was a good preparation for the coming “important play”, adding that basketball is among the best sports he has tried as a wheelchair athlete. “No matter how we may excel in individual sports like weightlifting or racing, the group game will always have its unique joy”.

“It is one of the greatest moments to me when I see my family, friends, and even my job colleagues in the stadium cheering for me,” Osama Abukhater, another player said, adding “playing basketball strengthened not only my muscles, but my soul. The game made me accept losses as much as I enjoy winning”.

Omar Ababneh, director of the tournament said that the coming West Asia Qualifying Tournament, which Jordan will host from April 22 to 27, will witness the participation of six national teams from Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Bahrain.

The two winning teams, according to Ababneh, will be qualified to play in the IWBF’s 2018 Asian Para Games, which will be held in Indonesia.