SASOL Amawheelaboys are upbeat about the future following their semi-final finish at the recently held third International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.
The national senior men’s team participated in the 10-day tournament held at the Salle Al Inbiâat in Agadir, Morocco from July 11 to 19.
This year’s tournament featured six countries from across Africa and the Middle East, namely, Morocco, Kuwait, Algeria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Going in as the underdogs, South Africa managed to earn their spot in the semi-finals after beating Saudi Arabia 62-44, and Kuwait 76-43. The team then bowed out of the tournament after putting in a spirited performance, but lost to Morocco 62-44.
“We had a relatively new team, so this was the perfect opportunity to see how they would perform against some of the best teams in the world. We have learnt a lot from the experience, and as we prepare for other tournaments we will be able to take this learning and improve on our performance. Based on how we played in Morocco, the future is indeed looking bright for the team,” said Charles Saunders, CEO of Wheelchair Basketball South Africa.
The Sasol sponsorship of wheelchair basketball in South Africa also incorporates the Technical Excellence programme involving training up of level 1, 2 and 3 coaches as well as technical personnel. Since inception in 2007, the programme has seen four South African referees succeed in receiving their international refereeing licences. A further two of the male referees achieved Paralympic call-ups. During the International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament held in Morocco, South African referee Natascha Onono became the first woman in Africa to be internationally graded and licensed. Onono’s achievement is a first for a female referee, in 38 years of the African Zone’s international participation.
“At Sasol we are all about partnering with potential that inspires. It is for this very reason that we were very excited by the passion and determination that the team displayed at the tournament in Morocco. We are looking forward to seeing them grow and develop further in their efforts to qualify for tournaments such as the Paralympics,” said Brenda Mopeli, specialist: brand marketing, Sasol Group Marketing.
“We also congratulate Natascha on her achievement. It is very encouraging to see a South African woman achieve outstanding success in the international sporting arena. This talks directly to our support for government’s gender equity agenda and our reason for supporting initiatives like the Technical Excellence programme.”
The Sasol Amawheelaboys will next play in the Sasol Green vs Gold Game in September.
Credit: WBSA
