Updated 12/03/2011 04:30 PM
Wheelchair Basketball Players Compete In 11th Annual NYC Mayor's Cup Tournament
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Some of the finest wheelchair basketball players from around the region are competing for bragging rights in the Bronx this weekend. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed the following report.It seems athletes just can't get away from that old rivalry between New York and Boston sports teams.
The New York Rollin' Knicks took on the NEPVA Celtics Saturday in the 11th annual wheelchair basketball tournament held at Manhattan College.
“It's not like the Knicks and Celtics in the NBA, but yeah, every game is competitive,” said wheelchair player Jess Markt. “The strategy is just to always try and get our best players out there, work on the things we've practiced, run out plays.”
The two-day tournament features about 100 of the top wheelchair basketball players in the country.
Eight teams come from all over the Northeast to compete for the National Championship, and competition is tense.
“The good thing about this tournament is that it's a lot of teams with a lot of skills all around the country. When you come to here, you see the best,” said wheelchair player Jamie Zuluaga.
The players' chairs are specially made to allow for greater mobility, and no one on the court is afraid to get hurt: They often smash into each other during play.
“Wheelchair basketball is more of a finesse sport. In able-bodied ball, you see them running and dunking and alley-oops, and we can't do that, so it's more of a thought process, more of a finesse, wiggle your way into a place so you can get the ball. So, our chairs are very much built for that, and also, they're extra welded so they can take the abuse of getting hit,” said wheelchair player Kelly Lavoi.
The tournament is organized by the city's tourism bureau, NYC and Company. It began more than a decade ago, and it was partly the brainchild of Disabilities Commissioner Matthew Sapolin, who died this week.
“We've gone ahead today and named the MVP award for him, so we hope that this continues to shed a spotlight on possibilities for people that are disabled to continue to play sports and get out there and be active,” said Michael Hopper of NYC and Company.
The team that wins the tournament takes home the Mayor’s Cup trophy and some pretty serious bragging rights.
For more information, visit nycmayorscup.com.