The cream of South African wheelchair basketball descended on Potchefstroom from Tuesday September 30 as they battle it out for a berth in the upcoming Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge Final, taking place next Friday 3 October 3 at the Vodacom Dome at Vodacom World in Midrand.
The five-day Vodacom Provincial Nationals pits the top provincial talent from North West, KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng North, Gauteng Central, Western Cape and Eastern Cape to be crowned national champions.
Meanwhile, a star-studded team of celebrities are being assembled to take on the Wheelchair Basketball players in an Exhibition Game, which will take place ahead of the Final on Friday October 3. The match will start at 15:00.
Wheelchair basketball is not a game for the faint of heart, and the celebrities that will feature in the match should not expect any favours on court.
Among the celebrities to show their mettle in the wheelchairs are Vodacom sponsored Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs legends Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe, Jerry Sikhosana and Brian Baloyi.
Also to attend the Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge final are Springbok and Vodacom Blue Bulls players Pierre Spies, Flip van der Merwe, Arno Botha and Ryan Nell.
“Vodacom is immensely proud of our involvement with Wheelchair Basketball as it goes beyond sports sponsorship,” said Vodacom’s Janus Kloppers, Brand Manager – Sponsorships and Regional marketing. “The sport has changed the lives of many athletes with disabilities, while it unites people through a common interest, the love for the game.
“Vodacom is the proud sponsor of the National Championships, and after a week of action-packed matches we look forward to our premier showpiece, the Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge Final.”
The first few days of action in Potchefstroom have produced some quality action at the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, with defending champions North West taking full advantage of the homeground advantage.
In this early stage of the tournament North West seemed set to stake a claim for a place in next week’s showpiece in Midrand, while last year’s runner’s up, Gauteng North, have made a strong challenge.
“We will have the finalists of the national championships that will play for the Vodacom Challenge Cup, and it will showcase again the best we have at the best level we can get them at,” said Wheelchair Basketball South Africa chief executive Charles Saunders.
“Vodacom has opened the door for these youngsters coming through the ranks or players we haven’t seen before. This has allowed us and the national scouts to establish what players are where and what we need to do with them.”
