A wheelchair basketball match was scheduled as the curtain-raiser for Saturday night's Gators home game, which has now been scrapped because of Victoria's seven-day snap lockdown.
The exhibition match will still occur before the Gators’ next home game, which barring restrictions extending, will be on June 5.
Greater Shepparton Basketball Association committee member David Harcoan looks after the all-abilities program and said he was excited to get back in front of a crowd.
He said it was disappointing to have to postpone, but said the fixture would still happen as soon as possible.
Harcoan has been a part of what started as the Goulburn Valley Wheelchair Athlete's Club for nearly 30 years, joining in 1992 following a serious motor vehicle accident.
It was a launching pad that propelled him to the Australian wheelchair basketball side, and he wanted the program to expand to provide a local competition, so others could follow his path.
“We want to be able to use our opportunity playing before the Gators to show they can play and they can get in the chairs and interact and be involved,” Harcoan said.
“We've only really got back this year and we're building momentum and the plan is we want to have a local competition.”
The association was able to purchase six new chairs after a $30,000 grant in 2020, but has been unable to use them because of the pandemic.
“If we can build up momentum and numbers then we can have a great competition, which then allows wheelchair athletes more competition to get to the next level,” Harcoan said.
He encouraged anyone who was interested to get involved, and said people did not need a disability or to be confined to a wheelchair to play.
“It ranges from people who may have had a sporting injury and they're out of football or netball for 12 months with a knee injury,” he said.
“There are also people at TAFE or Uni where disability's important to them and they need to learn more . . . or older basketballers who still have a hunger to play, but their knees and ankles aren't any good, but by popping them in the chair they're good to go."
Harcoan said a competition would help build the skills of some of the region's younger players and develop a representative team.
“We want the wheelchair Gators to be aligned as closely with the men's Gators as possible,” he said.
“We want to be known as an elite team, which plays all across Victoria and does Shepparton basketball proud.”
Player Evan Gaskin has been with the Gators for some 30 years, joining as a 13-year-old.
“The main thing which keeps me coming back is the camaraderie between teammates, to be active and on par with other people,” Gaskin said.
“It's a chance to do something physical and play a sport and compete."
He had taken part in exhibition games before and said they were "good fun".
“You put on a bit of a show and get the sport out there in the community a bit more and making people more aware of what's out there - some people might not have known it exists,” Gaskin said.
“You may not think you'll be interested but if you have a go you might find you are. It's something different."
● The Gators’ wheelchair basketball exhibition game is scheduled for June 5, with tip-off at 5.15 pm. Anyone interested in joining should email info@gsba.com.au
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