Hope Mobility boosts KWBF with wheelchairs ahead of continental assignments

The Kenya Wheelchair Basketball Federation (KWBF) received a major boost to its preparations after being donated 15 basketball wheelchairs by Hope Mobility International – Kenya branch, during a handover ceremony held on December 12, at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Speaking during the event, Hope Mobility Founder and CEO Michael Panther expressed his appreciation to KWBF, describing the partnership as both timely and meaningful as Kenya gears up for major international competitions.

“At Hope Mobility Kenya, we are greatly honoured to hand over these basketball wheelchairs to KWBF, especially at this time when the federation is preparing national teams for the 2026 Commonwealth Games qualifiers in Angola and Kinshasa,” said Panther.

KWBF Treasurer Lilian Ocholla thanked Hope Mobility International and the Government of Kenya for their continued support, noting that the donation will significantly enhance training and competition readiness. She added that the federation will soon announce the dates and venues for official training camps as preparations intensify.

Kenya’s 3x3 and 5x5 wheelchair basketball teams are preparing for the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Africa Championships, scheduled for March 27 to April 4, 2026, in Luanda, Angola.

The continental tournament will feature Africa’s top men’s and women’s teams competing for qualification spots to the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games as well as the World Championships in Ottawa later the same year.

The 3x3 teams are expected to consist of six men and six women, while the 5x5 squads will feature 12 men and 12 women respectively.

In addition, Kenya will field a 12-member women’s team at the African U-25 Championship in Kinshasa, a key qualifier that will help determine pathways to the senior 2026 World Championships.

Hope Mobility International, founded in 2017, is headquartered in Chicago, USA. Panther, who is South Sudan-born and raised in Kenya, later migrated to the United States, where he established the organization.

He noted that Hope Mobility’s mission is rooted in promoting sports participation among persons with disabilities (PWDs) through a Christian-based approach, aimed at empowering athletes while sharing a message of Hope.