Turks see off US at Games

LONDON

Turkey’s Aytaç Ercan (L), Bülent Yılmaz (2L) and Ferit Gümüş (R) pressure pressure United States’ Jeremy Lade during the two teams’ wheelchair basketball game.

Turkish men’s wheelchair basketball team beat the United States 59-50 on the first day of the Paralympic Games yesterday.

Cem Gezinci had 15 points while İsmail Ar added 14 to help Turkey make a late rally to beat the strong United States team.

American Joseph Chambers was the high scorer of the game with 17 points, but his efforts were not enough for his team.

Turkey was trailing United States by three points at the start of the fourth quarter, but a strong performance of 17-5 in the last period clinched the game for Turkey. The team will now meet Australia in its second game in the preliminary round today.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s goalball team also made a strong start to the Paralympics with a 9-2 win over Sweden. Turkey will meet host Great Britain in the second round of the Group A.

Also, Turkish judoka Gülhan Kılıç lost to Germany’s Ramona Brussig in the women’s 52kg quarterfinal game and thus missed out on a chance to win a gold medal.

Apart from the wheelchair basketball and goalball events, Turkish athletes will compete in archery, judo, table tennis and shooting today.

The highlight of the Paralympic Games, the track and field events, also start today.

The opening ceremony of the Games was held at the Olympic Stadium in London on Aug. 29. At the ceremony, archer Gizem Girişmen, Turkey’s first ever female Paralympic gold medalist, carried the flag for the national squad.