African Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Qualifiers: A Highly praised Moroccan Performance

African Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball Qualifiers: A Highly praised Moroccan Performance

Mr Youssef Amrani and members of the Moroccan Paralympics wheelchair basketball

 

The participation of the Moroccan national team in the African Paralympics wheelchair basketball competition, which ended Saturday in Johannesburg, was highly praised, despite the loss of the Moroccan Five on Saturday , in the final against Algeria.

The South African media saw this Moroccan team as an example of professionalism and solidarity. Despite their defeat in the opening match against Algeria, the Moroccan players have not given up.

The proteges of coach Raphael Uschet Ubaldo recovered in the second game, beating Egypt (67-52).Reinforced by this victory, the national selection, holding the title of African champion, faced the national team of the host country, South Africa in the following match.

At the end of a very disputed game, the Moroccans managed to pocket the three points of victory by defeating the South Africans with the score of 70-62.The two selections were to meet in the final, a match that the Moroccan Five won hands down (73-48)

The final, which took place at the Vodacom Mandeville Indoor Sports Center in Johannesburg, was highly contested between Morocco and Algeria, the two giants of African wheelchair basketball.

After a very solid start, the Moroccan selection let go of ballast in the third and penultimate quarter of the match, a situation exploited by the Algerians to win the match with the score of 54-63 and thus punching their qualification ticket for the Paralympic games, scheduled this year in Tokyo.

Morocco’s ambassador to South Africa, Youssef Amrani, paid tribute on Sunday to the Moroccan team’s remarkable journey during this highly contested sport event.

Mr. Amrani, expressed to the members of the Moroccan team in the headquarters of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation in Johannesburg, all the pride, esteem and respect that dirives from the self-denial, professionalism and exceptional quality of play they have shown throughout the competition

 Beyond the undeniable sporting and technical attributes, the ambassador praised the human qualities of the team which draws its strength and liveliness from a strong sense of patriotism and an unique spirit of camaraderie.

Faced with the adversity of great African teams, the Moroccan Five, united and in perfect harmony, did not shy away from any difficulty, always seeking to outdo themselves to their last entrenchments, said Amrani.

He underlined that it is with strength and pride that the national colors were worn in South Africa, adding that exceptional performance of the Moroccan team throughout the whole competition is a great lesson of humility witch comforts once again the solidary, inclusive and humanist vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI towards people with reduced mobility.

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