South Sudan Wheelchair Basketball Association is capable to play international competitions soon and win trophies, says chairperson.
Kim Bany Joak affirms that the Association supports sports activities and participants are drawn from mainly physically challenged people in the country.
He says wheelchair basketball players are ready to test their abilities with Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda to bring glory and trophies to South Sudan.
‘We have the capability to put South Sudan on the map. We are planning to have a tournament with Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda soon. We want to test the professional skills we have acquired with other teams outside South Sudan to tell that we are able to participate in these activities and bring prizes home’.
He further describes to CRN the skills the physically challenged used to play wheelchair basketball.
‘The South Sudan Wheelchair Basketball team comprised of participants mostly persons living with disabilities. They play while riding their wheelchairs. They can also dribble the ball and use their arms to play other than the limbs. The first requirement of the game is, one has to have the arms to be able to push the wheelchair and dribble the ball and throw it up in the net to score. So dribbling the ball is basically hitting the ball against the ground as you push the wheelchair to dodge the opponent’.
Bany pledges to open more basketball courts across the country to engage more people living with disabilities.
He stresses that lack of resources and transport and many others are key challenges facing the association and the players.
The Chairperson calls for more support for them to move forward.
The team Coach Karbino Jan Ngor says people living with disabilities are interested in sports activities, but the economic crisis affected them.
‘The disable are interested in the basketball game, but some people lack transport that’s why some of them didn’t come today. But as a coach, I will be available anytime and when some players around five people come to the court, we will just proceed’.
The Wheelchair Basketball game started in Kenya in1998, by refugees from various countries, including South Sudan to engage the physically challenged people in sports activity to reduce trauma.
It was supported by UN agencies and International Rescue Committee.