At the end of an inaugural ceremony punctuated by shows performed by local folk troupes. Kick-off in Agadir for the 9th International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

The kick-off of the 9th International Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, initiated until 6 June by the Souss Handisport Association, was given on Monday evening at the Al Inbiâat hall in Agadir, with the participation of teams from Morocco and Algeria.

The opening match pitted the teams of Alharrach (Algeria) and Souss Agadir against each other, at the end of an inaugural ceremony punctuated by shows performed by local folk troupes.

In a statement to MAP, the president of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Sports for Disabled People (FRMSPH), Hamid El Aouni, assured that this tournament brings together, in addition to the two previous teams, the Algerian national team, the Moroccan "B" team, composed of local elements, and the national "A" team, composed mainly of elements playing abroad, notably in Europe and Turkey.

He assured that the participating teams will be competing for the title of this tournament, played in the form of a championship, the organisation of which is part of the efforts tending to promote and develop the practice of this sport, but also in the context of preparations for the participation of the national team, at the end of October, in the African championship, qualifying for the Paralympic Games.

Observing that the African championship should lead to the choice of a single representative of the Black Continent, he expressed the hope of seeing "this honour fall to the national 'A' team, hence our concern to prepare a coherent and competitive team before next October".