Wheelchair basketball is a highly popular sport at the Paralympics, captivating audiences worldwide.
While basketball is a globally celebrated sport, not everyone knows that it is also played by athletes with physical disabilities. Today, over 100 countries participate in wheelchair basketball, with powerhouse teams like France, the USA, and Great Britain set to compete at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024.
Originally, wheelchair basketball was developed to aid the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, providing them with an outlet for stress relief. As these athletes used wheelchairs to navigate the court, the sport naturally became known as wheelchair basketball.
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) traces the sport’s origins back to 1945, with the first recorded game taking place between two hospitals in the United States.
According to the International Paralympic Committee, wheelchair basketball began gaining traction around 1946 in the USA, pioneered by World War II veterans who were determined to continue playing the game they loved. With minor adaptations and rule changes to accommodate players in wheelchairs, the sport quickly spread across the United States and eventually the world.
Wheelchair basketball made its Paralympic debut in 1960 at the Rome Games, one of the eight sports featured that year. The United States dominated the inaugural event, securing two gold medals in wheelchair basketball.
Over the decades, wheelchair basketball has seen an incredible surge in popularity, becoming one of the most anticipated events at the Paralympic Games.