Dubai: Germany beat Thailand 58-49 in the final to claim their first title as the 7th Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament drew to a close at Al Ahli Club in Dubai.
While Germany secured top spot at the five-day competition, Thailand emerged as first runner-up and Morocco the second runner-up. The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth positions were occupied by Kuwait, Egypt, the UAE, Oman and Australia respectively.
Germany were unbeaten throughout the tournament, but the final battle against Thailand was an action-packed contest. Germany led after the first quarter 15-12 before the Thais fought back to level at 27-27 at half-time.
In the third quarter, Germany restored their dominance to lead 47-33 and eventually won by nine points at 58-49.
German team coach Peter Richarz said: “This was a tremendous experience for the German players as they got the chance to play against some very different teams. Ours is a young team so the tournament offered the athletes a fantastic platform to play against older players. We are thrilled to be taking home the title after facing strong Arab teams who demonstrated excellent defence strategies.”
As first-time participants, the Thailand team put up a strong fight throughout the tournament, winning all matches except the final. With 147 points to his credit — at an average of 29.4 points per game — Thailand’s captain Jamjarean Aekkasit won the top scorer title.
The tournament was held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, and the auspices of Dubai Club for the Disabled and the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Centre. It was held in cooperation with the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Paralympic Committee.
Thani Juma Berregad, Chairman of the Dubai Club for the Disabled and Head of the Organising Committee for the Fazza Championships for People with Disability, said: “We are pleased with the resounding success of the tournament and I would like to extend my admiration for the efforts demonstrated by all the participating teams from all over the region and beyond.
“We now look forward to building on the success of the past seven years to offer disabled athletes an even stronger platform to showcase their talents and enhance their sports abilities, and to help them prepare for international tournaments by giving them the opportunity to play against the best teams in the field.”
