First wheelchair basketball league to be launched

Byun Hyo-cheol, the 2014 Incheon World Wheelchair Basketball Championships (IWWBC) Organizing Committee executive director, sixth from left, and Korea Wheelchair Basketball Federation (KWBL) President Kim Jang-sil, seventh from left, pose with the heads of provincial and municipal wheelchair basketball associations during their inaugural general meeting at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

The Korean Wheelchair Basketball Federation (KWBF) announced Wednesday the launch of a league for the first time in the country’s para-sport history.

At a meeting in the National Assembly, the KWBF said it will launch a managing body, the Korean Wheelchair Basketball League (KWBL), following the national team’s remarkable run of success.

The KWBL is expected to be operational from March next year after acquiring approval from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The league will be comprised of five semi-professional teams in its inaugural season. There are 18 wheelchair basketball teams in Korea and two of them are semi-professional teams ― Seoul Metropolitan Government and Jeju Provincial Government. The KWBL will make three more teams semi-pro ― Holt Wheelchair Basketball Team, Mugunghwa Electronics Basketball Team and Daegu Wheelchair Basketball Team ― to form the league.

Each team will play two matches every weekend for three months between November and March. The KWBF said the league will also feature all-star games and provide opportunities for fans to experience the sport.

Rep. Kim Jang-sil of the ruling Saenuri Party, who also serves as the federation's president; Byun Hyo-cheol, the 2014 Incheon World Wheelchair Basketball Championships (IWWBC) Organizing Committee executive director; and the heads of provincial and municipal wheelchair basketball associations attended the meeting and named Byun as president of the KWBL.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude for the government which assisted the launch of the wheelchair basketball league, which has been a long-time wish for the sport's players,” Byun said. “At the same time, I feel a heavy responsibility. I will encourage more teams to become semi-professional and do my utmost for the league to become popular.”

Korean wheelchair basketball players have had brilliant performances in recent international competitions. In July, they were ranked sixth in the IWWBC, their highest ranking ever. Three months later, they clinched gold at 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games after beating Japan in the final.