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NWBA's statement on the International Paralympic Committee's and International Wheelchair Basketball Federation's recent announcements

By NWBA Board of Directors, 02/01/20, 1:00PM CST

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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - By now, all of you have heard the news about the status of wheelchair basketball for the Tokyo and Paris Paralympic Games. Click on the following links to view the statements: (IPC Link) and (IWBF Link).

The NWBA is proud of its international success and grateful for a dedicated group of athletes who deliver that success. We will do everything that we can to support our athletes who have been preparing for Tokyo over the last several years.

This eligibility debate does not apply at all to our NWBA League play. More specifically, if you are not in the High Performance (National Team) Pool, there is no action required on your part. The NWBA is a self-governed organization, which has eligibility requirements in its By-Laws. That means our membership votes to determine eligibility requirements for the NWBA.

NWBA leadership understands the importance of compliance with our key partners. We will continue to ensure our organization and our athletes are in compliance with IWBF and IPC standards, including eligibility. We appreciate the ongoing support of the USOPC in our efforts to build the NWBA’s capability while delivering success on the international stage.

We are confident that the IWBF and the IPC will work towards a practical solution that ensures wheelchair basketball is a part of the program in Tokyo, in Paris and beyond.  We have already engaged in outreach to various parties to begin the steps in our planning process. This will ensure the NWBA High Performance Athletes have taken all required steps in a proactive fashion.