Group drawing at Frankfurter Roemer
The official draw for the Eurobasketball 2013 groups got around 200 national and international guests gather at Frankfurter Roemer. It was the starting signal for the European Championship 2013 from 28th of June until 7th of July at the Ice Pavillion Frankfurt. So for the second time in history Hesse will welcome Europe’s best Wheelchair Basketball Players.
Especially the German men, who became Second 2011 in Nazareth, got a particularly tough group, as they have to come out on top of European Champion Great Britain and three-time Champion Italy, as well as the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. The first four teams out of this Group A will then qualify for the Eurobasketball Quarterfinals.
The German women, having won Gold at the Paralympics in London, are starting as favourites into the first round. Their oppositions will be EM-fourth France as well as Spain and Israel.
Before the draw TV-host Markus Phillips welcomed IWBF Europe President Jan Berteling, DRS-chairman Ulf Mehrens, National Players Marina Mohnen (Cologne 99ers) and Sebastian Magenheim (Mainhatten Skywheelers), Pascal Roller and host Markus Frank, Frankfurt’s councillor, to an interesting and short whiled talking round to discuss this year’s location, the Paralympics 2012 and the development of Wheelchair Basketball over the last couple of years.
But also the fact that Frankfurt will have to try some very big boots after the success of the EM 2007 in Wetzlar was topic of the exciting discussion. The evening was accompanied by music of the Pop-Rock Band „Blind Foundation“, most of whose musicians are blind.
Men, Group A: Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland; Group B: Spain, Turkey, Poland, Israel, Sweden, France
Women, Group A: Germany, France, Spain, Israel; Group B: Netherlands, Great Britain, Turkey, Italy.