Engage, a non-profit organisation promoting social inclusion in Nepal, is organising the third Turkish Airlines Engage Empowering League (EEL) Wheelchair Basketball Championships from June 2 to June 30.

The 29-day tournament will be participated in by 15 teams—nine in men’s and five in women’s event—who will play each other in the round robin league before the top four meet in the playoffs. The matches will be played at the National Sports Council covered hall, Chhauni, St Xavier’s College and The British School, informed the organisers during a press conference on Wednesday.

Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC), Jawalakhel Wheelchair Sports Club (JWSC), Wheelchair Sports Association (WSA), Bodhistwas International Association (BIA), Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association (NSCISA), Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre (SIRA), Pokhara Wheelchair Basketball Team (PWBT), Nepalgunj Wheelchair Basketball Team (NWBT) and Chitwan Wheelchair Basketball Team (CWBT) will compete in the men’s event.

WSA, BIA, NSCISA, JWSC and Women Wheelchair Basketball Association (WWBA) will compete in the women’s event. WWBA is the latest addition in the women’s event, while teams from Nepalgunj, Chitwan and Pokhara will be competing for the first time in the men’s event.

National Youth Council Nepal is the co-convener of the tournament which has Turkish Airlines as the title sponsor and is supported by Governance Facility. Abdullah Tuncer Kececi, the general manager of the Turkish Airlines Nepal Country Office, said they are taking the tournament beyond the Corporate Social Responsibility. “This event has now become something very serious. We want to see it grow even further as time progresses,” said Kececi.