History

Wheelchair Basketball was invented in 1946 by former American basketball players, who, after wartime injury, wanted to again experience the exhilaration of a highly athletic sport within a team environment. It is now played in more than 80 countries by some 25,000 men, women and children with a physical disability, which prevents them from playing competitive basketball on their feet.

The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) is the governing body for international Wheelchair Basketball. In 1993, the IWBF became an independent sports federation with 50 member nations. Wheelchair Basketball has been part of the Paralympic programme since the Rome 1960 Paralympics.