|
|
 |
 |
2008 Mayor’s Cup Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Presented by Forest City Ratner
|
| Date: |
October 10-12, 2008 |
| Location: |
Manhattan College: Draddy Gymnasium (4513 Manhattan College Pkwy), Bronx
Horace Mann High School (231 W 246th St), Bronx
|
The Mayor’s Cup Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Presented By Forest City Ratner, the largest wheelchair basketball tournament in the New York metropolitan area, will be held at Manhattan College and Horace Mann High School in the Bronx. The Mayor’s Cup is comprised of two separate Division II and Division III tournaments and will feature the sport’s best teams from around the world. The tournament is free for all spectators.
In 2007, Ghana’s Greater Accra Regional Team was the first team from outside of North America to participate in the Mayor’s Cup since the tournament’s inception in 2001. The Greater Accra team was comprised of the top wheelchair basketball players from Ghana, including members of Ghana’s Paralympic Team. The squad, which featured the tournament’s leading rebounder Mensah Richard (12.0 RPG), quickly became the favorite amongst the fans and other teams.
The New York Metropolitan Area was represented by several local clubs in 2007 including the Bulova Renegades’ (Bronx) division II and III teams, the New York Rollin’ Knicks (Manhattan), the Nassau Kings (Long Island), the United Spinal Nets’ division II (NJ) and III (Queens) teams as well as the United Spinal Cobras (Brooklyn). The Division II National Champion Dallas Mavericks (TX), the Division III National Champion CRS Hot Wheels (Los Angeles, CA), the Rochester Wheels (NY) and Connecticut Spokebenders filled out the rest of the bracket.
Wheelchair basketball is played on a regulation basketball court, but players may only push their wheelchair twice before dribbling or passing. The height of the basket is the standard 10 feet used in both college and professional basketball. Athletes opt for specially designed wheelchairs engineered for speed and maneuverability.
The New York City Sports Commission created the Mayor’s Cup Wheelchair Basketball Tournament in 2001 in an effort to enhance the scope of adaptive sports in New York City. This NWBA-sanctioned tournament has been held annually ever since and has become the largest wheelchair basketball tournament in the Northeast. The City also sponsors Mayor’s Cup tournaments in a variety of other sports including: field hockey, billiards, handball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, kayaking, track & field, cross country, chess, table tennis and wrestling.
For more information about wheelchair basketball, please visit the National Wheelchair Basketball Association website.
For more information about the history of wheelchair basketball, Hall of Fame players and statistics, please visit the NWBA Hall of Fame website.
For more information about Forest City Ratner, please visit the Forest City Ratner website.
Contact Information
For more information about this event, please contact tournament director Jeff Mohl at (212) 487-6627 or jmohl@cityhall.nyc.gov.
|
Last Updated On:
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 | |
