Water basketball: "The ultimate team sport"

"Water basketball is the ultimate team sport", Annet Vreeling says, who switched from water polo to water basketball four years ago. "The sport is not about strength, you can't swim with the ball and you can't take the ball away from someone. You need each other to get the ball from the back to the front whilst throwing it to each other. Then find a hole in the other team's defence and try to put the ball in the basket. The latter is no sinecure, Annet admits. "Aiming is not my talent."

Water basketball is primarily a sport for people with a disability, either physical or mental. One person without a disability can participate. "The great thing is that you really need each other's talents. Where one has his weakness, another can help. That is what I like about the sport. That you are involved with each other in a sportive way, despite your limitations." 

For example, Annet is on a team with a man who cannot use his left arm properly. "He gets a lot out of the other arm. But he scores most of our goals." Annet is again good at defending. "I think it's super fun to just push that little ball for the basket, so hop, to the side."

Alhoewel het een competitieve sport is, “kan ik ook genieten van een tegenstander die een heel mooi doelpunt maakt”. “Er is wel een winnaarsmentaliteit, maar er is ook veel respect voor elkaar, je gunt elkaar het doelpunt.”

Because of corona, water basketball has been on hold for a while. And players are staying at home to avoid the risk of infection. "We are dealing with a vulnerable group, some have not been to training all year."

Annet hopes she will soon be able to play water basketball again with her teammates. To train together once a week and to participate in the various tournaments.

As a result of the project Uniek Zwemmen in Brabant komt naar voren dat waterbasketbal veel potentie heeft om mensen met een beperking in teamverband te laten sporten. Ben je geïnteresseerd in waterbasketbal of wil je zelf een vereniging of team opstarten, neem dan contact op met de KNZB. De zwembond heeft ook een questionnaire in order to make an inventory of the questions that interested parties have. In order to harmonise supply and demand. The goal is to make water basketball bigger and better known, so that more people can enjoy the sport.

The project Unique Swimming in Brabant is a cooperation between InnoSportLab de Tongelreep, KNZB and ir. Otten Fieldlab Aangepast Sporten of Libra Revalidatie en Audiologie and is made possible by the province Noord-Brabant.