The final round of the eleventh season of the NLB Wheel League concluded on Saturday (13th April) in Slovenia. The final round was dedicated to the municipal holiday of the Vransko Municipality and the 50th anniversary of the Association of Paraplegics of Slovenia.
The NLB Wheel League, which is organised by the Slovenian Paraplegic Association, is an annual competition which includes eight regional wheelchair basketball clubs from five countries: Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.
To mark the occasion, Head Coach of the Slovenian running basketball team and former international basketball player, Radovan Trifunović, a fan and friend of the NLB League, was a special guest at the event. The League have also continued to partner with running basketball’s ABA League which has helped to promote the competition.
After three regular rounds across two groups, the 2018-2019 season concluded with KKI VRBAS from Banja Luka (BIH), taking the championship for the sixth time. Graz’s RBB FlinkStones (BIH), for third place. KIK Zmaj from Gradačac (BIH), and KKI Zagreb (CRO) finished fifth and sixth respectively. KIK Una Sana from Bihac (BIH) placed seventh and KKK Singidunum from Belgrade (SRB) were eighth.
A presentation party including Alenka Smonkar, a representative from the general sponsor Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB), Mayor of the Vransko Municipality Franc Sušnik, President of the Slovenian Paraplegics Association Dane Kastelic, President of ZŠIS-POK Damijan Lazarand, and Radovan Trifunović, addressed all participants at the end and congratulated them for the results achieved.
Organiser, Gregor Gračner, thanked all of the players for their participation in the regional league and the organization of the individual rounds, and especially thanked the general sponsor, Nova Ljubljanska Banka.
Nova Ljubljanska Banka also donated two new basketball wheelchairs, which were received by Sabid Karupović (KIK Sana) and Igor Ignjatović (KKI Vrbas).
Image and text courtesy of the NLB Wheel League.
