AMTZ hosts Indian women’s wheelchair basketball athletes

Twenty-one women wheelchair basketball players from across India have come together for a 14-day intensive training camp organised by the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) at the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ). The team aims to prepare for the upcoming Asia-Oceania Zone Games and the Asian Para Games—crucial milestones on the road to the 2028 Paralympic Games.

Through AMTZ, the parathletes have access to a facility that is accessible, respects their talent, sees their potential, and gives them a level playing ground to prepare for international games. The facility is complete with residential facilities, fully accessible infrastructure, and round-the-clock support. 

“This camp is a game-changer,” says Coach Captain Louis George Meprath, who has been leading the 14-day intensive training. “For the first time, these women are training together, communicating, and building the kind of chemistry required for international-level play. And with Asian Games and Asia-Oceania Zone Games ahead — both crucial for qualifying for the 2028 Paralympics — this camp is everything.”

This camp was the second of eight national-level camps that AMTZ and WBFI plan to organise this year, as part of a long-term roadmap to elevate India’s presence on the global para-sports stage. Dr Jitendar Sharma, MD and Founder CEO, AMTZ, shared, “This camp is part of our larger vision to establish a Para Sports Academy at AMTZ. We are committed to creating a pipeline of talent, with world-class infrastructure and unwavering support, to help India bring home Paralympic glory.”

Nisha Gupta, a double amputee from Maharashtra, lost both legs in an accident. “I went through a long phase of depression,” she shares. “But discovering wheelchair basketball gave me strength, purpose, and identity. At AMTZ, I feel truly empowered. This indoor court and accessible facilities are unlike anything we have.”

Geeta Chauhan, Captain, Indian women’s wheelchair basketball team, emphasised the importance of the camp, “During international matches, we struggle with coordination because we come from different parts of the country. This camp has helped us connect, understand each other’s strengths, and truly function as a team. The support from AMTZ is incredible.”

Ritu Chanu, from Manipur, shared the challenges of training back home, “Back home, we don’t even have basic courts. We travel across districts to meet once a week in Imphal. Here at AMTZ, we have everything—a proper court, coaches, equipment, and most importantly, dignity. It gives us strength.”

Alisha Khan, from the Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh, the youngest player in the Indian team, shares, “This training camp is the perfect blend of platform, resources, and dignity.”

Following the wheelchair basketball championship in February hosted at AMTZ, which led to the creation of the Andhra Pradesh wheelchair basketball team and the first men’s camp, this marks the second national wheelchair basketball training camp. AMTZ and WBFI are now actively looking for promising para-athletes from Andhra Pradesh to represent the nation with pride on international platforms.