Eenhana
The Ohangwena Wheelchair Basketball Club held its first Basketball Basics Clinic at the Eenhana Youth Center last month.
The club was created to develop wheelchair basketball on a fundamental and competitive level in the northern part of the country, with the ultimate aim to enhance the community by providing an environment to develop strength, character, sportsmanship, and leadership in Ohangwena Region and Namibia at large.
It aims to promote and develop wheelchair basketball clubs in the Ohangwena Region, where basketball is slowly growing in popularity among people living with disabilities.
Previously, not exactly recognized, wheelchair basketball has been played for a few years locally since August 2008, particularly in the Oshana Region and can be seen at nearly every court in the country, notably in the vast Khomas and Oshana regions.
The appeal of wheelchair basketball is in its simplicity of both rules and required facilities, not to mention ease of organization, play time and it being very similar to basketball.
In essence, wheelchair basketball aims to provide an atmosphere of excellence with coaching, high-level development and competition for wheelchair athletes to improve their skills, and ultimately to change communities through wheelchair basketball in northern communities in Ohangwena Region.
The Ohangwena Wheelchair Basketball Club was officially formed in September last year during the club’s AGM at the Monte Carlo Lodge, Eenhana Town.
However, the club still faces a few challenges that include lack of proper sport wheelchairs, equipment, transport of wheelchairs and supporting crew in their various capacity building.
The club is grateful to GIZ, the organisation which donated five basketball vests and basketballs during the club’s wheelchair basketball clinic last month.
Meanwhile, the club urged the community, media, Ohangwena Regional Council, Eenhana Town Council, the portfolio ministry, local businesses and those living with disabilities residing in Ohangwena Region to put their shoulders to the wheel in an effort to develop the community through wheelchair basketball.