SA victorious in wheelchair basketball series
Gift Mooketsi performed well in the series and his hard work and performance paid off when he was named Man of the Series.
The South Africa Sasol Amawheelaboys completed the Sasol All Star series on a high note, when they defeated the New Zealand Roller Blacks 66-37.
The match took place at the Mandeville Sports Centre on Saturday.
In the first quarter, New Zealand was in charge of the game, giving the Amawheelaboys a difficult time.
The local lads, however, eventually gained the upper hand and took the lead.
After gaining and finding the winning combination halfway into the game, South Africa was in leading 50-31 at halftime.
Gift Mooketsi performed well in the series and his hard work and performance paid off when he was named Man of the Series.
The Amawheelaboys coach, Mr Frank Belen, said there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before the team takes on the continent’s best at the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation’s African Qualifiers in Algiers, from October 31 to November 7.
“I’m pleased with the team’s performance but I have picked up things during the series that we need to work on.
“We still have a long way to go, however I am glad we won against New Zealand. It was not an easy game,” said Mr Belen.
The Amawheelaboys captain, Mr Cecil Dumond, said he was happy with the team’s performance.
According to Mr Dumand, it was team spirit and a winning combination that secured victory for his team.
“The Amawheelaboys stuck together as we didn’t have a good start, but in the end we found the winning combination,” said Mr Dumond.
The African nation that wins the tournament in Algeria will represent the continent at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
