CHARLOTTE (Steve Goldberg's Wheel World) - The IWBF European Champions Cup, the competition that whittles down to the top wheelchair basketball club team on the continent, got publicity in media across the world last weekend… but not for the right reasons.  

The battle between defending Euro champs RSV Lahn-Dill (GER) and contenders CD Ilunion (ESP) should have been the story but that's not what the media chose to focus on. Photo courtesy of RSV Lahn-Dill

The bad news…

Four years ago, I wrote in this space about violence breaking out during a league game in Istanbul. Not on the court between arch-rival wheelchair basketball teams of Galatasaray and Besiktas but in the stands and hallways of the arena where alleged supporters of these sides decided in their infinite ignorance that their competition superseded that of the athletes.  

I use the word "alleged" in describing these people because I cannot use the terms "supporter" or "fan" without qualifying it as such. True fans and supporters are dedicated to the advancement of their team not the destruction of it. Anything that distracts from the game itself for no other purpose than personal mayhem has nothing to do with supporting a team, a sport or a game.

This is a portion of what I wrote in December of 2012:

During a wheelchair basketball game on Sunday between Turkish league rivals Galatasaray and Besiktas, a number of those who would claim to be fans brought shame and dishonor to themselves and the teams they profess to love as they decided that hate for each other was more important than love of the game.

I would not be mentioning this now if the small contingent of false fans of these two accomplished and proud Turkish teams had not exported their selfish stupidity to Germany, more specifically to the Saxony town of Zwickau which lies about 32 kilometers from the Czech border and played host to the 2016 IWBF European Champions Cup tournament.

According to reports, when knives and baseball bats became more important than basketball to these pseudo-supporters, police were called and the game was abandoned. However, those reports were not entirely correct.

According to an official statement from IWBF Europe posted last Monday, all violence occurred outside the arena and before the match, which was to be for 5th place, was even started.

"Due to the risk of further violence during the game, in consultation with the local Police, it was decided to cancel the 5th and 6th Play Off game between the 2 teams. Both Turkish teams were upset, concerned and surprised with this violence outside of the sport hall as well as everyone."

Adding insult to injury, The Telegraph, a British newspaper, ran a wheelchair rugby photo with the AFP wire story on the incident. Did London 2012 not teach them anything!? Do newspapers have copy or photo editors any more?

(Sidebar here: If you see a mistake I've made, I fully expect you to let me know. My email is below.) 

Is this an indictment of all Turkish fans? Absolutely not and I want to thank Malik Abes of IWBF Europe's Development Commission who offered this defense of the true supporters who bring their best towards bringing out the best in their beloved teams.

"All Turkish Fans are Hooligans? NO!," he wrote in a Facebook post.

"We had in the last years so many competitions in Turkey, like U23 World Championship, European Championships A and U22 in Adana and Istanbul and I personally had the honor to play a final of the European Championships against the Turkish National Team in 2009. Even if we won the title (Italy), even if we had 4-5,000 Turkish fans against us during 39 minutes, at the end we had a standing ovation for both teams during the last minute and had no problems at all to go back to the hotel. We can’t judge the Turkish Wheelchair Basketball because of some hooligans, who probably (do) not even know our sport."

As evidence, he posted with his comments the video below on Facebook, adding, "Look to the real Galatasaray fans, during a game at home in Istanbul. It was a fest for our sport and some of them are really great artists."

Now the good news...

And now for something completely different, the good news from the tournament is that a new champion was crowned, the Madrid-based CD Ilunion, defeating defending and a record six-time champions RSV Lahn-Dill of Germany 71-45 in the final on Sunday. Great Britain national teamer Terry Bywater led Ilunion and all scorers with 24 points with Bill Latham (Australia) adding 17, Alejandro Zarzuela (Spain) 13 and Rodney Hawkins (Colombia) 10.

Mikey Paye and Steve Serio, both USA players, led Lahn-Dill with 20 and 11 points respectively.

In a preview of the Italian league final this weekend, UnipolSai Briantea84 Cantú bested rivals SSD Santa Lucia Roma 74-64 for third place. While the gold medal game was a rout, this was a hotly contested affair with Cantú ahead by 11 after one quarter but only 3 at the half.  Down by 3 after the third period, Cantú outscored Roma 26-13 in the final stanza to take the game. 

Gaz Choudhry (GB) led Cantú with 20 with countryman Ian Sagar adding 18. Matteo Cavagnini and Giulio Maria Papi each scored 17 for Roma.

As noted, while Europe may be done, the championship final of Italy is still in play with SSD Santa Lucia Roma hosting UnipolSai Briantea84 Cantú in game one of the best of three final this Saturday. When in Rome, do as the Romans do and go see it live at 5 (17:00). Otherwise, it will be televised on delay that evening via RAI SPORT 2 at 19:00 Rome time (GMT +1).

After competing for third place in Europe, SSD Santa Lucia Roma hosts UnipolSai Briantea84 Cantú in game one of the Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro in Carrozzina championship series.

With no time to rest on their European laurels, CD Ilunion will be playing for the reign of Spain this weekend as well with a semifinal against Bidaideak Bilbao on Saturday. The winner of that match will face the winner between BSR Amiab Albacete and Getafe BSR on Sunday. Ilunion have won 14 national championships including the last four.

Champions of Europe, CD Ilunion hope to become champions of Spain for the fifth straight season. Photo courtesy of CD Ilunion

Meanwhile, down in Orlando, Florida, Prince Harry's Invictus Games were held in America with the home team USA besting Great Britain 48-16 for top honors in the wheelchair basketball competition. 

"It's been built up as a bit of a grudge match," the U.K. captain Simon Gibbs said before the final. The Brits had beaten the USA in the inaugural Invictus Games two years ago and, well, to be honest there's been a competitive grudge between the two countries for almost 250 years now.

500 military athletes from 14 countries participated in the second Invictus Games, this year held in Orlando, Florida. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jason Edwards/ Released)

But a friendly rivalry is good when it's battled out on the courts and fields of play. That's something a few Turks and any other hooligans who believe our stadiums and arenas are fair ground for them need to learn.

Steve Goldberg

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

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