US – India wheelchair basketball exchange held in TN

CHENNAI: Wheelchair basketball athletes and coaches from six American universities played exhibition matches and held training clinics in Chennai and Coimbatore over the past two months as part of an exchange programme supported by the US Department of State.

Teams from the University of Alabama, University of Arizona, University of Missouri, University of Michigan, University of Illinois, and the City University of New York (CUNY) participated.

In Chennai, they played alongside Indian counterparts at IIT Madras, Loyola College and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. In Coimbatore, the group worked with Kumaraguru College of Technology to run wheelchair basketball clinics for students and local players.

The initiative, organised through the US Consulate General in Chennai with the Tamil Nadu-based Sittruli Foundation, was held in July and August 2025. It aimed to develop adaptive sports, promote student participation, and encourage exchanges between athletes from both countries.

US Consulate Public Diplomacy Officer Eric Atkins said the programme sought to build leadership and disability inclusion “on a global scale” through sport.