Monday, November 20th, 2023.- Venezuela secured its first victory in the male's wheelchair basketball competition, defeating Chile 67-44 in the final match for both teams in Group B at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.

Both teams had lost their initial matches against Canada and Argentina, meaning one of them would conclude the first phase with a win while the other would finish with only losses. Venezuela emerged as the winner, although they faced more challenges than the score suggests, especially in the first half.

In fact, the opening quarter favored the Chileans, ending 11-8. It was only in the second quarter that the Venezuelans took the lead, winning it 22-13. They continued their dominance in the last two quarters with scores of 20-8 and 17-12.

"Venezuela has a very strong team; we just lacked a bit of experience because it's our first participation in a Parapan American Games. But we are optimistic that we can continue to improve and win some matches," said Chilean player Ángel Hernández.

Group B will conclude this afternoon with a match between the two leaders, Canada and Argentina.

Written by Patricio Hernández; translated by Rocio Rojas / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Karin Pozo / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport