Spain is already the queen among queens. The wheelchair basketball team was proclaimed champion of the Nations Cup, played this weekend at the Miguel Guillén Prim pavilion in Madrid, after winning all four of its games. Abraham Carrión’s pupils made it even more difficult and beat the heavyweights of the tournament: the Netherlands (the current European champion), Great Britain (the world champion), France and Poland. In addition, ‘Pincho’ Ortega was designated as the MVP of the championship and is in the ideal quintet along with Andrej Maczek (Poland), Gregg Warburton (Great Britain), Robin Poggenwich (Netherlands) and Mateusz Filipski (Poland).
Our selection Thus, he exceeded all expectations, since he arrived at this hesitant appointment, after the setback last year, when he finished the European Championship in seventh position and was left out of the next World Cup in Dubai. This Nations Cup was, without a doubt, the best way to overcome. To do this, Carrión pulled from his usual block: Alejandro Zarzuela and Oscar Onrubia (Amiab Albacete), Ignacio Ortega (Alabama WB/USA), Iván Martínez Toscano (Hornets Le Cannet/FRA), Agustín Alejos (Iberconsa Amfiv), Alexis Ruiz ( FDI Villa de Leganés Foundation), Amadou Diallo, Dani Stix and Pablo Lavandeira (Ilunion), Asier García, Manu Lorenzo and Adrián García Ingelmo (Bidaideak Bilbao) and Pablo Zarzuela and Joaquín Robles (UCAM Murcia). Two novelties were added to them, Jordi Ruiz and David Mouriz, who had been to the Tokyo Paralympic Games, but fell out of the Lido d’Ambruzzo international tournament, held last June.
Spain did not have an easy path to glory, but they showed their full potential. They beat France on the first day (78-71), with the stellar performance of Amadou Diallo, who had 18 points, seconded by Asier García who distributed ten assists. Already on the second day, the National Team faces were seen with Poland (81-59), who could only keep up with our team until the break. A gale that was commanded by ‘Pincho’ Ortega, who scored 22 points, also starring against Great Britain, against whom he recorded another 27 points. There La Roja finished 69-59. The last hurdle, although everything was already resolved, was the Netherlands (54-51). Alejandro Zarzuela was the highlight of the contest, thanks to his defensive work, which translated into 13 reboundsthe same ones he reaped against Great Britain.