Due to concerns surrounding the transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) have come to a joint decision with the Japanese Wheelchair Basketball Federation (JWBF) that the representation at the draw for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will have to be limited.
The draw for the wheelchair basketball competition at Tokyo 2020 will go ahead as planned on Sunday 22nd March, managed and overseen by a small team of IWBF and JWBF officials, however it will not be open to any external guests, team representatives or media. Instead the draw will be streamed online with live updates via IWBF’s and JWBF’s social media channels.
This difficult decision was made following specialist health advice surrounding the prevention of the spread of the virus which includes caution against the assembly of large groups and travel restrictions.
IWBF Secretary General, Norbert Kucera, said:
“The world faces a very challenging time in trying to contain the virus. Both IWBF and JWBF have made the decision to reduce the scale of the event with the best interest of those planning to attend the draw in mind. We want to try and ensure the safety of all those involved and minimize the risk of infection.”
