Daniels Fund sponsors Wheelchair B-Ball Championships
One of the largest events of the year in Colorado will draw top athletes around the nation to compete in the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships, sponsored in part by the Daniels Fund
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Colorado Springs, March 16--------The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) will hold its64th Annual National Championship Tournament in Colorado Springs March 22-25, one of the largest athletic events of the year in Colorado and the largest wheelchair basketball tournament in the world in 2012, thanks to tremendous support from the ABC Home Medical, Daniels Fund, El Pomar Foundation, Invacare Top End, Per4Max, and Spinergy.
More than 1,000 of the best male and female athletes with physical disabilities from all over North America will travel to Colorado Springs to compete.
Teams in six divisions will have qualified for the Nationals via NWBA-sanctioned regional tournaments – the teams traveling to Colorado to play in this tournament will be the best of the best. The six divisions featuring elite adult players all the way down to the NWBA’s youngest elite competitors ages 8-12 are Championship, Division III, Women’s, Varsity, National Invitational and Prep.
This will be the first time that Colorado Springs has hosted the NWBA Championships. Hosting the 2012 NWBA Championships at a single site is made possible because of the support provided by District 11 Schools, the United States Olympic Committee, the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation, El Pomar Foundation, and the Daniels Fund.
“The players of the NWBA are some of the greatest athletes in the world. The game is fast, exciting and a beautiful sport to watch. We are very excited to have our premiere event, the largest wheelchair basketball competition in the world for the first time in Colorado Springs. The community has embraced our tournament and we are very thankful for the support of our local sponsors, District 11, Colorado Springs Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, El Pomar Foundation, and the Daniels Fund for making the event possible. We hope the people of Colorado Springs will come out and see the best of what sports competition is all about.” said NWBA Executive Director Randy Schubert.
A majority of the games will take place at The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs at Olympic Sports Center I, the first multi-sport gymnasium built on the Colorado Springs complex. It’s a 59,000 square-foot facility containing six gymnasiums, and will host five NWBA basketball games simultaneously under one roof.
Over the course of the four days, teams in the six divisions will combine to play 168 games. Palmer High School, Doherty High School and Wasson High School will also host a series of games. The tournament tips off on Thursday, March 22 at 8:00 am, with a VIP Scrimmage taking place at 3:00 pm in the lower gym of the Olympic Training Center.
