TOP NATIONAL TEAMS COMPETE IN MATTHEW SAPOLIN MEMORIAL WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

10/11/17


TOP NATIONAL TEAMS COMPETE IN MATTHEW SAPOLIN MEMORIAL



WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
 



—Tournament to Take Place October 14–15 at



Poly Prep Country Day in Brooklyn—
 



New York City (October 10, 2017) — NYC & Company, New York City’s destination marketing organization, today announced the 17th annual Matthew Sapolin Memorial Wheelchair Basketball Tournament will take place October 14–15 at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. The annual tournament features the country’s top-ranked teams from the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. For more information, including the tournament schedule, team rosters, results and photos, visit facebook.com/sapolintournament.

“We are excited to host the 17th annual Matthew Sapolin Memorial Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, which will feature some of the top wheelchair basketball players from across the country,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “We look forward to welcoming all the teams to our great city and encourage New Yorkers to come out and support these magnificent athletes.”

“The Matthew Sapolin Memorial Wheelchair Basketball Tournament provides the perfect venue for our city’s top athletes with disabilities to showcase their skills against some of the best teams from around the country,” said Victor Calise, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. “This annual tournament is a great tribute to Matthew Sapolin and everything he did to provide greater opportunities for people with disabilities in New York City.”

The preliminary rounds will take place Saturday, October 14, 10:30am–7pm, at the Poly Prep Gymnasium (9216 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn). The playoffs will begin Sunday, October 15, at 10am, and will culminate with two championship games starting at 11:30am and 1pm, respectively. Admission is free to all games. 

The teams competing include the Brooklyn Nets (Brooklyn, NY), Bulova Nets (Hackensack, NJ), Medstar NRH Punishers (Washington, DC), Nassau Kings (Garden City, NY), New England Blazers (Malden, MA), New York Rollin’ Knicks (New York, NY), Rochester Wheels (Rochester, NY ), San Diego Wolfpack (San Diego, CA) and WSF Liberty (New York, NY).

The Matthew Sapolin Memorial Wheelchair Basketball Tournament is organized by NYC & Company and supported by the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference and the Wheelchair Sports Federation. Formerly known as the NYC Mayor’s Cup Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, the event was renamed in 2012 to honor Commissioner Matthew Sapolin, who led the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for nearly a decade. Commissioner Sapolin was instrumental in starting the tournament in 2001 and helping transform it into one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country.

Wheelchair basketball is played on a regulation basketball court with the standard 10-foot basketball hoop used in college and professional basketball. Additionally, athletes use wheelchairs specially designed for speed and maneuverability, and the players may push their wheelchairs up to two times before dribbling or passing.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com



 



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NYC & Company/Kim Klein 212-484-1270