Six teams participate in which athletes with intellectual disabilities play
The Kutxa Rural League of adapted basketball for athletes with intellectual disabilities was presented at the Kirol Etxea Assembly Hall, in Miribilla, with various developments, more participants, other venues and sponsorship. This beautiful initiative in this sports modality aims to become an example of equal opportunities and integration so that athletes with disabilities have a good time and develop their sports skills with the help of professionals in this sport, clubs and technicians. It is one more bet of support and with responses from the Biscay Basketball Federation and the Adapted Sports Federation, promoters of this competition, to continue advancing towards a standardized competition extended to the entire territory of Biscay. After a first experimental edition in a concentration, this League incorporates two-leg matches on different courts (with a referee, table official and regulations) and a final phase to determine the champion team. The first day is played this Sunday and the competition will last until May 2023.
More participants
The organizers want the clubs to create their own adapted basketball teams for athletes with intellectual disabilities and promote the sport in their municipalities, in order to normalize the practice of basketball among this group. Five clubs that already participated in the first edition compete in this League: Lehoiak Gorabide, Fundación Bilbao Basket, OSK Bar El Chiringuito de Portugalete, dependent on Oribeltza, Haszten Saski, and Getxo Saski Haszten STB. Alzola BSK Basauri is the sixth in the running, as it has created an adapted basketball team in collaboration with the Down Syndrome Foundation of the Basque Country. This new Kutxa Rural Basketball League adapted for athletes with intellectual disabilities begins this weekend for seven months, with a break between December 18 and January 15 that will be used to celebrate a Christmas tournament that will serve to promote the incorporation to the competition of new teams. The last three days will be a one-round league between the first three classified on one side and the last three on the other, which will serve to establish the final classification.
All with one goal, that clubs from all over Bizkaia create their own basketball teams adapted to athletes with intellectual disabilities. After last season there were two venues, now the matches are played on six courts, with Basauri and Getxo as novelties , which are added to those of Bilbao and Portugalete. This League is open to athletes of both sexes from the age of 16, in a pioneering initiative when it comes to launching a provincial or regional competition.
six teams
The six teams will enjoy a competition that goes from the topaketak format – meetings that brought together all the teams on the same field and a single day to play all the games – to a normalized league, with two-way matches and their own venues for each equipment. Already in the first edition of the league, Getxo Saski and Oribeltza de Portugalete created a specific team for athletes with intellectual disabilities, joining the initiative launched by Bilbao Basket through its Foundation. Now, there are more who join the project.
In addition to the official collaborator, the tournament has the support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and Bizkaia Kirolak. The long-term purpose is to promote a top-level competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, following the model of the Genuine Football League.
themes
Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Basauri, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Getxo, Miribilla, Portugalete, Bilbobus, Princess of Asturias Cup, Eurocup (Basketball), Final Four (Basketball Euroleague), Final Four Vitoria 2019, People with disabilities, Second Division, Second Division B, basketball, duathlon, TAV (High Speed Train)
