The SA U23 men’s wheelchair basketball team arrived in Sao Paulo, the capital of Brazil, on Tuesday in preparation for this week’s eagerly anticipated 2025 World Championships.
Amawheelaboys are reportedly acclimating to life in South America after flying out of South Africa on Monday.
The African wheelchair basketball champions have been drawn in a tough Group B against the best teams in the world, USA, Thailand, Great Britain, Italy, and defending champions Japan.
Odds stacked against SA
Nevertheless, coach Siphamandla Gumbi maintained that they will compete on the basketball court and hold their own, even though they are the underdogs and the odds are stacked against them.
“In as much as we will be going up against some of the best teams, including the defending champions, as it stands, we are all equal and will be starting on a clean slate,” Gumbi said during their send-off hosted by Sasol, the team’s main sponsor.
“We need to make sure that we minimise our mistakes on the court, score our baskets, utilise every opportunity that we get, and follow the game plans we have been working on.
“There will be times when we must make a couple of adjustments, and players are expected to adapt.”
Gumbi continued: “At this point, we will be focusing more on ourselves and what we can do on the floor and taking as much as we can from all the teams we’ll be going up against. However, we must acknowledge that everyone is competing at a similar level.”
Tough match against Americans
Captain Petros Mlife echoed the coach’s remarks, highlighting that they are not in Brazil just to add numbers but rather competing against some of the best in the world and showcasing their skills.
“After the draw came out … a lot of people said it is going to be tough for us, but we spoke as a team and agreed that we would not be going there just to present but to compete.
“We are not scared because we are also going there as champions of Africa. The goal is to display our best basketball and take as much experience as possible from this opportunity,” Mlife said with a smirk on his face.
The young South Africans will open their World Championships account against the US on Thursday.
