The just-ended 3×3 high-performance camp held by the Namibia Wheelchair Basketball Federation (NWBF) was hailed as a success by the athletes who participated in it.
The camp held from 19 to 23 May was used to select the men’s national team that will represent Namibia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games qualifiers set for September in Johannesburg, South Africa.
One of the participants, Mitch Dewaldt said: “For the first time in the history of wheelchair basketball we will have a team that will travel outside the country to compete in a major championship,” adding that the skills and knowledge gained at the event will therefore be used to qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He said having athletes go through different types of training and aspects of the game is a good way of creating awareness as well as letting the public know that people with disability can also live productive lives.
Another player, Agnes Hausiku described the camp as empowering: “To be part of the team allowed me to learn how skills can be developed. Wheelchair basketball players are not empowered and hosting such a boot camp is a privilege for such players.”
She said for the first time they had four females attending the workshop and is hopeful that their goal of creating a 5×5 women basketball team will soon be realised.
“This type of workshop should be used by the corporate world to fund disability sports as there are many people out there at home who should join the sport and with teies type of camps one makes new friends apart from engaging in sports alone,” Hausiku said.
On his part, NWBF president Isaac Nailenge said the boot camp went well and the federation is now waiting on coach Ryan Raghoo who is based in the United Kingdom to go through all the videos of the camp and select the team which he will announce soon.
“Athletes who will be selected will have to be on top of their game or they would be replaced by those on standby,” he said.
Participants included players from the Khomas, Ohangwena and Oshana regions.
The event was sponsored by NamPower.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
