With the nationwide occasion, Nearly Unstoppable Sequence Problem, concluded just lately, the nation’s wheelchair basketball gamers used this yr to rejoice extra than simply their sporting acumen
This festive season, wheelchair basketball athletes have another reason to rejoice — the just lately concluded nationwide event, held on-line, for the very first time.
The Nearly Unstoppable Sequence Problem, performed by the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) comprised occasions in 4 classes: artwork, quiz, health and sports activities expertise, and preliminary rounds had been performed on-line throughout 5 zones: North, East, West, South and Northeast. With over 185 entries, the competitors was eager.
The class that invited probably the most diversified and fascinating submissions was creative expression. Bengaluru-based Arun Lakshmi Sriram, a chartered accountant, who moonlights as a stand up-comic, judged the occasion. “We had been artwork from the guts, the place athletes might specific themselves in an off-the-cuff video, which is less complicated than performances on stage,” says Arun. A five-member crew throughout the West zone clinched that prize with entries throughout music, artwork and jewelry making.
The quiz was a combined bag of technical questions from the world of wheelchair basketball and normal sport-related trivia, whereas health and sports activities expertise classes required particular challenges to be carried out, whereas on a wheelchair. South Zone outperformed the opposite groups at sports activities expertise and the ultimate quiz occasion, whereas the North Zone bagged the health gold. South Zone took dwelling money prizes of ₹25,000 for the General Championship, adopted by ₹20,000 for the runners-up, West Zone and North Zone in third place gained ₹15,000.
Founder-president of the WBFI, P Madhavi Latha was thrilled with the end result of the occasion. She says, “Groups from all of the zones gained prizes on the nationwide problem! We noticed large enchancment in gamers within the Northeast Zone within the on-line quiz class. The truth is, they went from the underside of the scoreboard to the highest three. Our gamers from Jammu and Kashmir, within the North Zone, regardless of their sketchy 2G connection, participated within the last quiz occasion, which was through a stay streaming hyperlink. I feel participating gamers by means of digital challenges helped them increase their information about using a number of digital platforms.”
The grand finale quiz occasion, on November 29, was hosted by Sumanth C Raman, who holds the excellence for presenting the BSNL Sports activities Quiz on Doordarshan’s Podhigai TV channel, India’s longest operating quiz programme with over 800 episodes.
Hari Prabhu Nammalvar, from Coimbatore, says, “The ultimate was poised like a nail-biting cricket match, and it was such an honour to be in the identical body as Mr. Raman, somebody I’ve admired on TV, for thus lengthy. This was my first WBFI occasion, and regardless of being digital, it actually helped me perceive the technical nuances of the sport, since we had been coached by nationwide and worldwide mentors. I can’t wait to see the gamers in particular person, now that we have now struck up a friendship on-line.”
Kunilata Barik, a participant from the East Zone
The occasion that commenced early September, related gamers unfold throughout State strains, and the WBFI additionally reached out to households going through monetary difficulties, sponsoring care kits throughout the nation. Mike Frogley, Nationwide Academy Director, Wheelchair Basketball Canada, was all reward for the digital outreach. “I can’t inform you how impressed I’m that you’ve got seemed for methods to assist folks within the WBFI household in these tough instances. I’ve not heard of another federation serving to their members with funding for people who find themselves going by means of financial hardship. That sends a message that I at all times inform our athletes, ‘Maintain the crew and the crew will maintain you’. It’s about simply refusing to let one thing fall brief, and the sheer drive of will, to get one thing new going.”
Wheelchair basketball athletes are presently fanned out throughout the nation, practising at gymnasiums and houses, as sports activities amenities slowly limp again to normalcy. The gamers are trying ahead to practising as a crew, as quickly because the cloud of the pandemic lifts, and it’s secure to play in the identical courtroom.