Amakrokokroko wheelchair dynamos Richard Nortje, Ralph Williams and Nick Taylor produced a first quarter display of high quality to take the rainbow nation a step closer to Paralympic qualification, in thrashing Jordan 81-37 in their opening fixture at the Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge at Mandeville on Sunday.
Nortje, who play for Porto Potenza in the Italian professional wheelchair basketball league along with national team-mate Marius Papenfus, showed a full range of excellent wheelchair control and speed, plus superb handling skills, with Williams’ support play, and Taylor’s breaks down the middle of the court, proving too much
for the never-say-die Jordanian team.
SA finished the first quarter 27-5 ahead, and led 45-12 at halftime, before taking a 60-23 lead at the end of the third quarter.
In Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge action on Monday, Algeria will make their first appearance of the tournament, when they play Iran at 18h00 at the same venue.
With the final set to be played on Friday at 19h00, the winners of the four-nation tournament will be crowned Vodacom Wheelchair Basketball Challenge champions as well as the number one side in the Afro-Arab zone, plus of course, the ultimate prize — qualification for the Paralympic to be held in Athens, Greece later this year. – Sapa