The Maillan gymnasium in Le Cannet was the venue for the Euroleague 3 wheelchair basketball tournament throughout the weekend. An event that brought together five teams of twelve players in front of 1,500 to 2,000 people. Coming from France, but also from Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, all the teams played very exciting matches. In the end, it was Le Cannet that achieved the feat and won in front of its home crowd. Four victories in as many games and the club is set to fly to the final of the competition in Poland in April.
An intense contact sport
However, the success of the organization is particularly noteworthy. An event that cost nearly 45,000 euros. Players are classified according to their levels of disability, allowing all types of disabilities to come together. The most popular of adaptive sports knows how to attract athletes, enabling them to reach a very high level. Yann Corder, a player from Lille, explains what he likes about wheelchair basketball: “I’ve been practicing it for three years. Before my accident, I only did extreme sports. I still do, but I also took up wheelchair basketball because I like the contacts, the intensity of the game, and the teamwork.” This sport impresses with its physical aspect. Players use their bodies and wheelchairs to block their opponents. Once under the basket, they rarely miss the target. It is an exacting sport, which leads athletes to see themselves as able-bodied sportspeople.
Opinion of Alexandre Farrugia, club president
“This weekend is a huge success for our club and our sport. The public turned out: between 430 and 450 people in the stands for the key matches, and we expect between 1,500 and 2,000 over the weekend. Our team of volunteers was perfect. We earned the right to participate in this cup on the field through our results in previous years. When the opportunity to host was presented, we made the effort with the public in mind. They are showing up, sometimes more than for able-bodied sports. We have a great venue, and we need to make the most of it. We have real deserving athletes in a true sport. In any case, the public recognizes them as such. I hope this will allow other adaptive sports to emerge.”
