South African women’s wheelchair basketball team, Amawheela Girls was hosted by Sasol and Wheelchair Basketball South Africa (WBSA) in celebration of their participation in the U25 Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Championship which took place in Bangkok, Thailand between October 4 and 9.
The Sasol-sponsored SA team made history by becoming the sole representative of the African continent at the IWBF World Championships.
They endured a somewhat frustrating tournament, producing great performances but failing to close out their games, losing against Canada, Germany, Thailand, Japan and Australia resulting in the team clinching a tenth spot.
The welcome back celebratory event was attended by the players and team management who travelled with the team to Thailand.
Speaking at the event, Sasol senior manager of group brand and sponsorship, Nozipho Mbatha said they are excited to welcome home the stars of the team and to celebrate their representation of the country and the continent on the world stage.
“In 2019, we extended our commitment by sponsoring the women’s national team because Sasol firmly believes that wheelchair basketball represents the ultimate triumph of the human spirit, for both men and women. Our commitment to supporting athletes and championing diversity and inclusion in the world of sports, remains unwavering,” said Mbatha.
Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana star Nomvula Kgoale delivered the keynote address, congratulating the team for representing South Africa and the continent at the world championship.
She used her own experience of representing South Africa on the global stage to reflect on the mammoth task that the team undertook, urging them to always carry out their national duty with pride because they deserved to be where they were.
WBSA chief executive officer Charles Saunders said WBSA has been able to achieve something that many sports have not achieved and that is to identify talent in the rural townships, breeding through young talent and making them into a team.
“We would like to thank Sasol for staying with us and supporting us. You have shown us that there is a greater circle of life for disability,” said Saunders.
The U25 Basketball World Championship, which allowed top young female wheelchair basketball athletes to showcase their skills and compete for the coveted world champion title, was marked as a significant milestone for wheelchair basketball.
This event was confirmed to be the largest to date with ten teams taking part, which included Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Spain, Thailand, United States and SA.
