MADRID, 22 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The José Luis Talamillo sports center in Burgos will host the 46th edition of the Copa del Rey wheelchair basketball from this Friday until Sunday, with the top eight finishers in the Honnor Division at the end of the first round and with Bidaideak Bilbao defending his reign.
The Bilbao team arrives to the Castilian-Leonese city with the endorsement of having been the champion of the last two editions, a finalist in the last three, and willing to sell its throne dearly in the face of favoritism once again from Amiab Albacete, undefeated league leader and who has resisted this tournament that he did win in 2021 against the current champion.
The team coached by Adrián Yáñez will begin the defense of the title against Econy Gran Canaria, whom they beat two years ago in the final, but less than a month ago they were able to defeat them in their home stadium by a tight 76-77. If Bidaideak wins, they could run into Amiab in the semifinals, current league and European champions who will begin their journey against Iberconsa Amfiv Vigo in the match that will close the quarterfinals this Friday.
On the other side of the table is the other contender for the title, a CD Ilunion that already won the Spanish Super Cup at the beginning of the season and is the most successful in the Cup with 19 titles, although the last one was in 2020, in which It was his last final.
The Madrid team will open the tournament on Friday against Amivel Reyes Gutiérrez, sixth in the league, and the winner of this quarterfinal will face the team that faces UCAM Murcia, third in the Division of Honor, and Fundación Aliados Valladolid, current ninth.
This Copa del Rey will also be attractive for the fan because they will not only be able to see the considered best player in the world, the Canadian Patrick Anderson, from Bidaideak Bilbao, but almost all the Spanish players who will be at the Paris Olympic Games next summer.
Enrique Álvarez, president of the Spanish Federation of Sports for People with Physical Disabilities (FEDDF), recalled that Burgos “wanted to celebrate this competition” and that Spain has “the best league in the world, the best players in the world and probably the best event together with the Paralympic Games”.
For her part, the mayor of Burgos, Cristina Ayala, highlighted that the objective is “to make sport inclusive not only at a competitive level but at all levels in a city that has cemented a passion for basketball in recent years.”
Furthermore, on behalf of Caixabank, sponsor of the tournament, its Commercial Director in Castilla y León, Pablo Gómez, assured that the bank is proud to “sponsor sporting events that reflect fundamental values such as excellence, diversity and inclusion.” “This competition embodies those values by providing equal opportunities to exceptional athletes who demonstrate that talent and determination know no physical limitations,” he added.
–CHAIR BASKETBALL KING'S CUP PROGRAM.
-Friday.
1. CD Ilunion – With Reyes Gutiérrez 11:00.
2. UCAM Murcia BSR – Fundación Aliados Valladolid 17:00.
3. Econy Gran Canaria – Travelers Bilbao 19:30.
4. BSR Amiab Albacete – Iberconsa Amfiv Vigo 13:30.
-Saturday.
Winner 1 against Winner 2.
Winner 3 against Winner 4.
-Domingo.
Final 12:00.