Northland's Daniel Begman takes a shot in a game against Auckland in round one of the Wheelchair Basketball NZ league held in Whangārei over the weekend.
Northland's Daniel Begman takes a shot in a game against Auckland in round one of the Wheelchair Basketball NZ league held in Whangārei over the weekend.
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It was all action at McKay Stadium in Whangārei over the weekend as round one of the Wheelchair Basketball NZ league was held in the city.
It was the first time a two-day wheelchair basketball round had been held in Whangārei, and Sharon Carroll of organisers Parafed Northland said it was a great way for local and national players to get some good game time in.
Northlander Jamie Tapp holds off the opposition as he looks to pass the ball.
Division one for the weekend had the Northland A, Auckland A, Waikato A and Canterbury teams, while Division Two was contested by Northland B, Auckland B and an Upper North Island team.
Northern Advocate photographer Tania Whyte went along to capture these moments.
What is wheelchair basketball?
Justine Hunter, from Northland, about to make pass at the wheelchair basketball tournament in Whangārei.
Across the globe, around 100,000 people play wheelchair basketball, from recreational to elite levels. It is one of the original Paralympic sports and first emerged around 1946 in the US.
Wheelchair basketball was developed by injured servicemen from World War II who were former able-bodied players wanting to continue playing their sport.
Northland coach Glenn McDonald gets some court time at the Wheelchair Basketball NZ league.
Wheelchair basketball is played on standard basketball courts with standard-height goals. The object of the game is to score the most points in the opposing team's basket, just like able-bodied basketball. There are 10-minute stop-clock quarters, 24-second shot clocks, with normal timeouts and subbing etc.
The bulk of the rules are as for able-bodied basketball, with some differences to cater for the chairs in terms of obstruction and fouls, double dribbles are allowed (as some players need to carry the ball on their lap) and a travel is where a player pushes on the wheel more than twice without bouncing the ball.
Any player who is not able to play basketball standing up due to physical disability is eligible to play wheelchair basketball, although some players do not use wheelchairs in their daily lives.
Northland's Paul Fallon seeks a teammate to pass to at McKay Stadium on Saturday.
However, players are classified on a points system to ensure a mix of competitors can play. Players range from those with the highest level of disability - having a one-point classification - through to players with minimal disability (or able-bodied players – who can play at any level under full international rules) having a 4.5 classification. A team may only have five players totalling 14 points or fewer on the court, ensuring the lower-point players get fair court time. The lower-point players (1-3) tend to be guards and the higher-point players (3.5-4.5) tend to be forwards.
In New Zealand, wheelchair basketball is currently played widely at the community level, with opportunities to progress to the International level. For more information on the code, visit Wheelchair Basketball New Zealand.
