Now in its fourth year, the Bali Cup organiser BSF Indonesia, is proud to introduce a women’s competition alongside the men’s competition this year.
Teams participating in the women’s competition are Afghanistan, India, Thailand and Indonesia. Whilst in the men’s competition India, Malaysia, Thailand, JDA (France) and Indonesia will be battling it out for the cup.
The Bali Cup has grown from humble beginnings in 2014 where close rivals Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia competed for the first ever cup, which went on to include four teams in the second and third Bali Cup.
In the lead up to the tournament, BSF Indonesia will be running a women’s camp bringing together participants from BSF’s wheelchair basketball programmes around Indonesia. These programmes are supported by Australian Aid and are a follow on from the IWBF Asia Oceania’s women’s development camp, which took place in Thailand in April.
Gerry Hewson, an Australian Paralympian and former Australia women’s national team coach, will be conducting the training and selection for the Indonesian team for the Bali Cup. Also as part of BSF’s wheelchair basketball development in Indonesia, clinics for introduction to classification and wheelchair basketball introduction for FIBA referees will take place.
Reflecting the importance of the contribution of Australian Aid for both Indonesian and Indian women’s basketball programmes, the Bali Cup will be opened by the Australian Consul General in Bali Dr Helena Studdert.
Tournament Director Rodney Holt, said, “The Bali Women’s Cup adds a new dimension the wheelchair basketball world in South East Asia, and we are hopeful that it will lead to the full inclusion of women’s wheelchair basketball in the 2019 ASEAN ParaGames in Manila, Philippines.”
In the men’s cup, regional powerhouse Thailand will be the team to beat, however JDA from France present an unknown quantity whilst Malaysia, India and Indonesia will also compete strongly.
The tournament will be held at the Bali International School between the 28th – 30th July.
For more information about the tournament please visit http://balisports.com/