AmaWheelaBoys inspire patients at the annual Netcare Sports Day
JOBURG -– The skills displayed byAmaWheelaBoys at the Netcare Sports Day fascinate one of the patients at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Milpark.
The Sasol AmaWheelaBoys national wheelchair basketball team took time off from their busy schedule to play an exhibition match at the annual Netcare Sports Day at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Milpark.
Thato Moloi, a patient at the hospital was very impressed with the AmaWheelaBoys. “These guys are so good, I was amazed by how quick and skilful they are,” he said.
“They have inspired me to be better and I hope that one day I can be like them.”
The team is preparing for a tournament in Angola later this month and the 2019 IWBF Africa Paralympic Qualifiers and subsequently the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games in Japan.
Since its inception 18 years ago, the sports day has become a beacon of hope which enables current and former patients with disabilities to celebrate the potential they can attain regardless of life-changing situations.
For the AmaWheelaBoys, the day was all about interacting with the patients. Some patients got proceedings underway with a 4-a-side wheelchair basketball match, a fun activity which saw the young and elderly alike take to the court and entertain spectators.
“It was not just a day of playing the sport, it was an opportunity for the AmaWheelaBoys to show their goodwill to patients and demonstrate that a disability doesn’t have to limit you,” said Gerhard Smith, the team manager.
The exhibition match featured the AmaWheelaBoys against the Mandeville Eagles.
“The support was amazing, and you could really tell that the people were enjoying themselves,” Smith added.
Sasol brand marketing manager, Nozipho Mbatha was pleased with the day’s activities and underlined the importance of developing the sport in South Africa.
“Sasol is a company with a proudly South African heritage making great strides in supporting the development of sport. Today was another demonstration of our commitment to inclusion and diversity in South Africa,” she said.
“We want to raise the profile of disabled sport and the development of wheelchair basketball in South Africa.”
Details: www.wbsa.basketball.co.za; Twitter: @amawheelaboys
Read: AmaWheelaBoys well-oiled for Angola
