Donkey Basketball

Donkey basketball and wheelchair basketball are some types of basketball games with some modifications. Donkey basketball is a popular game in Southern United States. Donkey basketball is played on a basketball court, but the players do not run; they ride donkeys. Amusing as it sounds; let’s see what Donkey basketball is!

It is played for amusement and primarily as a fundraiser event. Many schools play this game to raise money for charity. There are many commercial firms that provide donkeys and equipment for the game. There is not much skill involved in the game, yet it is gripping, because of donkeys’ antics. Large crowds come over to laugh and have fun at such comedy and such events become popular as Donkey basketball fundraisers.

Buckeye Donkey Basketball is a wholesome, sidesplitting, family fun show since 1934. Jack Spicer is the owner of this troupe, which he inherited from his father. He has about 85 donkeys at his farm in Marengo, Ohio. These donkeys are small, well-groomed, and healthy. They know all the tricks to entertain the spectators. Spicer maintains that humane treatment of donkeys is his primary consideration. "Rebate" is the number one scoring donkey in Buckeye Donkey Basketball history. He has scored more than 15,000 points. The donkey league has four teams. They play about 300 games annually. The popular locations are from Virginia to Wisconsin and Oklahoma and Texas. The teams are usually made out of a police team, fire department team or Amish team. The Amish love donkey basketball.

The number of donkey basketball companies is declining. Donkey basketball has been besieged by animal rights groups, because the donkeys are mistreated. Donkeys are dragged, kicked, and whipped harshly to force them to play. Apart from this, donkeys are not fed food or water for hours before games, to prevent accidents on the court. In spite of its merriment value, Donkey basketball game does not have any big television deal. People watching it live, have also reduced.

Wheelchair basketball is a good replacement for Donkey basketball. The official debut of this game was in 1956 at the Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games. Here, disabled participants play basketball on their wheelchairs. The Stoke Mandeville Federation Games (SMFG) in Aylesbury, England was responsible in making changes to the existing sport, to suit the disabled. Since then, Wheelchair basketball has become popular worldwide. There is an organization called International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) established in 1989 to manage the sport. This federation has four geographical zones. In addition to disabled, some able-bodied participants also join the game to cheer the disabled. We thus find that the spirit of the game has pervaded to all sections of people.