Mongoose Wheelchair Basketball Club putting in marathon efforts to raise funds

JOHANNESBURG – Wheelchair basketball is a huge part of South Africa’s disability sports scene.

This year alone, the country finished 10th in the world at the IWBF Women’s U25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship.

South Africa’s women’s team brought home the silver medal and the men's team finished fifth at the inaugural African Para Games in Accra, Ghana.

So it’s no surprise that the GBT Mongoose Wheelchair Basketball Club, which has produced some of the national team players, is running marathons to raise funds so players can continue to ball.

The GBT Mongoose wheelchair basketball team is located at Gelukspan, North West the club participates at provincial, inter-provincial, and national levels and with selected players internationally in leagues and tournaments.

Eyewitness News spoke to club manager Undine Rauter and club chairperson and player, Vostile Ruba, about their fundraising.

Ruba ran the Soweto Marathon in his basketball wheelchair: “The other runners were supportive and considerate, for example, when we had to ask them to make way for the wheelchair because we moved a bit faster than the people in front of us. Being part of the Thuma Mina bus, it didn’t feel like being in the wrong crowd."

"I was part of Simo Mncwango’s Thuma Mina bus, which helped a lot because the “passengers” and coach looked so well after me, getting me the supplies on water tables so that I did not have to divert. It was an awesome experience. And there was also no ‘babysitting’ over-concerned care.”

The Marathons for Mongoose Wheelchair Basketball campaign has seen the pair run the Soweto Marathon and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and they're now looking forward to the Aurum Klerksdorp Marathon.

"We target the Aurum Klerksdorp Marathon, a more local race for now and to participate in a couple of local fun runs. We also plan to bring back our own ‘Inclusive All People’s Run’ in 2024, which has been our annual fundraising and community investment project in Gelukspan for many years but has been paused due to the COVID-19 interruptions," said Rauter.

Athlete and chairperson, Ruba, teases at competing in the Comrades ultramarathon in two years should he get his hands on the right chair, with Om die Dam and Kaapsehoop also on the list for the pair.

"We are an ambitious bunch of people, who have been hustling and yet performing on the highest stages since our inception. We have won multiple awards for our work with youth in the past, and more recently been among the top clubs in both men's and women's categories," said Rauter.

GBT Mongoose Wheelchair Basketball Club has set their target at R15,000 for now, which will allow players to participate in training camps and competitive games of the Provincial League starting in January until April 2024.

"We can expose a sponsor who can align themselves with our purpose in the televised SuperSports League and advertise their brand. Besides, even as a CSI project, we believe we are a cause worth supporting, because we have shown tenacity in our 26 years of history and deserve the necessary resources to even do better," said Ruba.

They told Eyewitness News that should they exceed theirBackaBuddy target they would use the rest of the money raised to prepare for higher league competition, render development programmes, and then renovate their wheelchair store.

"People can offer their services to us, or give resources in kind to us. We already have a few people helping this way, by volunteering to do some work for us, but we need more help. People can help for example as volunteer officials (on and off-season), or offering repair services for our facilities and wheelchairs. Also linking us to potential donors, or giving in-kind donations is very helpful. We need highly specialised equipment, even for the roadwork. But we can also make use of simple items like energy drinks, qym equipment and the like," said Rauter.

On why don’t they approach the government for funding Ruba explained that clubs cannot directly be funded by the Sports Department.

"The provincial structure, however, has received some support over the years (not for all programmes and years though) for the national competition participation of the provincial teams."