Deutsche Telekom organized a joint training session with the Köln 99ers and the Telekom Baskets Bonn in Cologne on April 12. This inclusive sports event saw Deutsche Telekom and the two professional clubs make a joint commitment to inclusion in sports and society.
Basketball Champions League winners Telekom Baskets Bonn met division-one and DRS Cup Final Four wheelchair basketball team Köln 99ers. Representing the Cologne club were Maside Cakir, Bulut Kodal, Umut Akbay, Tommie Lee Gray, Matthias Heimbach and Israel international Asael Shabo. Taking to the court for Bonn were Florian Koch, Lars Thiemann, Savion Flagg, Glynn Watson and Noah Kirkwood. © Deutsche Telekom
Henning Stiegenroth, Senior Vice President, Content & Sponsoring, welcomes the players to the event: “Deutsche Telekom is committed to inclusion in sports and society. It's part of our DNA. Presenting our sports sponsorship work and our social responsibility in tandem like this is one of the ways we promote inclusion”. © Deutsche Telekom
Learning by doing: the Bonn pros get a feel for sitting and moving around in a wheelchair. With the hoop still 3.05 meters off the ground and the rules identical to the regular game in this regard, the Baskets gained a whole new perspective on the sport. Wheelchair basketball teams are highly inclusive, comprising women and men of all ages. © Deutsche Telekom
Former Germany international Matthias Heimbach from the Köln 99ers led the training session, quickly helping the Baskets get to
grips with the game. “Sport brings people together by focusing on what unites, rather than what divides them. And today, that was our shared love of basketball,” he explained.
© Deutsche Telekom
“Being stuck on the ground all of a sudden and not being able to jump is a very unusual experience,“ explains Savion Flagg from the Telekom Baskets. At the same time, he spoke of the tremendous respect he has for the effortlessness with which the Köln 99ers handle their wheelchairs and the ball. © Deutsche Telekom
The Bonn side gradually grew in confidence, and their first basket sent the magenta team into raucous celebration. © Deutsche Telekom
Further drills followed, with the Cologne pros unsurprisingly having a significant edge in the free throws and wheelchair sprints. © Deutsche Telekom
For the closing game, the two teams comprised players from both clubs. As expected, the Köln 99ers were significantly more agile in their wheelchairs. In the end, it was a clear win for teamwork and the enjoyment of sport. © Deutsche Telekom
The two teams had a chance to discuss their experience with each other at the end of the training session, and Israel international Asael Shabo provided further insights into his sport. We would like to thank the Köln 99ers and the Telekom Baskets Bonn for taking part in the event and thereby helping to break down barriers and foster mutual understanding. © Deutsche Telekom