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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Basketball blackmail
By Abeer AnwarWith so many challenges to surmount, disabled athletes certainly can do with one less problem, especially if it smacks of blackmail.
Wheelchair basketball, an event included in the Sydney 2000 Paralympics will not involve a single African country after member states unanimously decided to pull out of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). The decision, taken at a 1-4 April meeting of the African General Assembly in Cairo, came after the IWBF refused to let Egypt's disabled basketball players go to Sydney unless the Egyptian side apologised for opposing the selection of Lebanon's Tawfik Aloush as head of the African zone, questioning Aloush's qualifications. The apology was supposed to be made to the head of the International Basketball Federation and the head of the African zone.
Egypt's basketball team had already qualified for the Paralympics after the country took first place in African qualifications. Thus, preventing the team from playing in Sydney went against all norms of fair play and the rules of conduct which govern the sports world. In response, Cairo sought help from the International Olympic Committee, the African Federation and the International Basketball Federation. But the IWBF was not swayed, leading to the African boycott.
Egypt's refusal, along with Libya, Algeria and Morocco to support Aloush, the ensuing IWBF backlash, followed by the African walkout will all be pursued at a meeting in Cairo next month to be headed by Robert Steward, head of the International Disabled Olympic Committee. The 10-15 May conference, the first of its kind to be hosted by Egypt, will have on its agenda the basketball incident in addition to Egypt's bid to host the 2008 Paralympics.
While it appears Egypt will not be represented in basketball at this year's Paralympics, the country has other sports to fill the void. In track and field, five women and 18 men qualified. Five swimmers will participate while in weightlifting, 13 women and 10 men are going. In table tennis, two players made it, as did the volleyball team. According to a rule set by the Egyptian Olympic Committee, a player who finishes in the first three places in individual sports or a team which lands any spot from first to eighth will represent Egypt in the Paralympics.
To prepare for Sydney, the track and field team will take part in the African championship in Tunisia in June. Volleyballers will enter an international championship in Egypt in August. The basketballers were to have trained in Britain but their debacle has put that trip on hold.
Lost in the high drama of the basketball boycott was a calendar of events scheduled this year for African championships for the disabled. Mentally disabled basketball qualifications will be held from 8-11 May in Cairo; the Middle East and African championship for track and field in Tunisia from 14-29 July; the African futsal (five-a-side football) deaf mute championship from 28 June to 3 July in Morocco; and an international volleyball championship from 21-30 July in Cairo.
