[Wheelchair basketball] is really hard, and you guys are incredible athletes…I find it really inspiring, and it is such a great honor for me to be visiting with you all today and to watch you practice,” said U.S Ambassador Rena Bitter when she and other USAID representatives visited the Wheelchair Basketball training of Asian Development with Disabled Persons (ADDP Japan) in Savannakhet on February 15th, 2017. She encouraged all participants to continue being inspirations for others and working hard regardless of their physical impairment.
ADDP Japan is one of the 15 partners in the USAID-funded World Education Laos TEAM project.
ADDP Japan created 4 wheelchair basketball teams and trains young potential players to be members of provincial wheelchair basketball teams in Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang, Savannakhet and Champasak Provinces. ADDP Japan will organize the National Tournament games in Vientiane on March 18th 2017. ADDP Japan, WEL and USAID are proud to contribute to the increased opportunities for PWD to play sports and hope to see some of these players on the Lao National Wheelchair Basketball team in the future, or even at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics!
