Hard work leads Amawheelaboys to Dubai championships

Sasol AmaWheelaboys men’s senior team had a send-off dinner at Mandeville Sports Club in Bez Valley on May 2. They will be competing in the Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Dubai until May 11.

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Sasol group manager Nosipho Mbatha said they were proud of the team for making the championships.

“The guys have worked hard and shown commitment and we are proud to support them and wish them all the best,” said Mbatha.

Sasol has been a proud sponsor of AmaWheelaboys for the past 11 years.

The team headed to Dubai with their new coach, Lydia Dumond.

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She is the first woman to coach a men’s national team in South Africa.

The Fazza championships will be her first challenge with her new team.

Wheelchair Basketball South Africa (WBSA) CEO Charles Saunders said, “WBSA had no hesitation in offering Lydia the role as head coach.

“Having led the AGA Lions to two SuperSport Wheelchair Basketball Series titles and two Terence De Bruyn Cup National Club Championships, we are confident that she is the right candidate for the job.

“The 10th Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Championships will be the first time that South Africa will have a female head coach, a fact which is a testament to the fantastic work Lydia has put in to achieve this.”

Dumond said she was humbled to be offered the opportunity.

“It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m looking forward to it. As a team, we respect each other and that is important.

“I am really excited for the opportunity to be part of the national team and I am looking forward to the upcoming tournament in Dubai.

“My team has been putting in a lot of work and effort and they will be going to Dubai full of confidence.

“Collectively we will be looking to make the country proud of Sasol AmaWheelaboys and we really appreciate the support,” said Dumond.

She is an active policewoman from Klerksdorp and has been involved in coaching wheelchair basketball for the past four years.

Her first involvement in the sport came when she was trying to find an activity to keep her husband, Cecil Dumond, the current South African wheelchair basketball captain, motivated after he was paralysed in a mining accident.

After completing her coaching qualifications through WBSA’s Sasol High-Performance Coach Programme, Dumond was appointed as head coach of the ASA Lions and never looked back.

She progressed to coach North West Province and in 2017 was appointed as the national men’s team assistant coach at the 2017 IWBF Afro World Qualifiers.

Mbatha said, “Sasol believes in championing limitless potential. Lydia’s story certainly is one of making the most of the potential she saw in a challenging situation. As the national team sponsors, we congratulate her on becoming the first woman to coach the men’s national team. We give our full backing to her and her side and wish them all the best for the upcoming Fazza championships in Dubai.”

The eight-team Fazza International Wheelchair Basketball Championships are organised by the Dubai Club for People of Determination with the support of their partners Dubai Sports Council, IWBF (International Wheelchair Basketball Federation), the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare (GAYSW) and the UAE Paralympic Committee.

Participating in the tournament are South Africa, Great Britain, Turkey, UAE, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and Morocco.

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