Wheelchair Basketball Groups for the Rio 2016 decided

Yesterday (Wednesday 20th April) saw the draw that decided the groups for the Rio 2016 wheelchair basketball competition.



The Paralympic Games wheelchair basketball competition will take place between the 7th to the 18th September at the Olympic Training Centre and the Rio Olympic Arena.



In the women’s draw current World Champions Canada will face defending Paralympic Gold medallists Germany in group A, alongside hosts Brazil, Great Britain and Argentina.



Whilst in group B the top three teams of their respective zones, European Champions Netherlands, Parapan American Games winners USA and Asia Oceania Champions China, come up against each other along with France and Algeria.



In the men’s draw, similar to the women’s, current World Champions Australia come up against defending Paralympic Gold medallists Canada in group A and will be joined by strong European opposition in Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands as well as Japan.



In the other group B, hosts Brazil chose to go up against Parapan American Games Champions and London 2012 bronze medallists USA as well as Iran, European Champions Great Britain, Germany and Algeria.



IWBF President, Ulf Mehrens, said after the draw, “I would like to express my thanks to the Rio 2016 Organising Committee who prepared and organised the draw extremely well. All the groups both in the men’s and women’s competition will be really interesting. The standard of wheelchair basketball across the world is progressing all the time and the Paralympic Games will see the best countries from their representative zones come together to compete for the World title. I’m now looking forward to what I’m sure will be a very exciting Paralympic Games.”