The Sasol AmaWheelaBoys recently won the 2023 IWBF Africa Southern Region Qualifiers Series with a clean sheet, securing a position in the African Para Games, which will be held in Ghana in September.
South Africa hosted Angola and Zambia at the Mandeville Sports Club. Coach Lawrence Trooper assembled a squad that included mainly new players, with the addition of seasoned men’s senior players Shane Williams and Jack Mokgosi, who provided a wealth of experience to the new team. James Tlotliso Mncumzana, who was named captain of the men’s senior national team, is also captain of the u/23 Wheelchair Basketball Men’s team. With his upbeat attitude, James was able to lead the squad to victory.
Coach Lawrence Trooper was pleased with the outcome of this series. “My guys showed nothing but great effort and tenacity throughout. When I was putting up the team for this series, I was looking for individuals that not only offered experience but also a positive attitude to the game. I feel that the combination of previous, present, and new players was a smart approach on my part, and I am pleased with how they were able to carry out the task at hand.”
James was ecstatic about qualifying for the African Para Games, “I am really pleased of myself and my teammates for making it to the African Para Games. Coach Trooper has been a huge inspiration to the entire squad, and we are confident that under his direction, we will be the finest wheelchair basketball team in Africa. The past few months have seen me carry out my greatest ambition of playing for my nation; Sasol has provided me with the platform and chance to do so, and I will be eternally thankful.”
Dean Somerset, Sasol Group Sponsorship & Brand Manager, congratulated the Sasol AmaWheelaBoys. “We at Sasol would like to congratulate our athletes on qualifying for the Africa Para Games. Our players performed admirably against Angola and Zambia over the weekend. Our association with Wheelchair Basketball South Africa was established in 2009 because we saw the immense potential of the wheelchair basketball fraternity and wanted to provide them with a fair opportunity to excel at the highest level. We are still devoted to maintaining the partnership and we are seeing the growth of the association and players.”
For regular tournament updates:
Facebook: @WheelchairBasketballSA
Twitter: @amawheelaBBall
Instagram: @wheelchairbasketball_sa
Click here to read more about wheelchair basketball.
