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  • Murderball

    Bogotá, Colombia

    Colombian disabled athletes take part in a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Cristian Amaya, a Colombian disabled athlete, tips over during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Colombian disabled athletes gather around the team coach during a wheelchair rugby training at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Charly Neme and Cristian Amaya, Colombian disabled athletes, fight for the ball during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Cristian Amaya crashes into Moises Alonso during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • A close-up view of the Moises Alonso bandaged arm stump during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Colombian disabled athletes in action during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Juan Manuel Ochoa, a Colombian disabled athlete, works out during a wheelchair rugby training at Arcangeles gym in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Moises Alonso crashes into Cristian Amaya during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Moises Alonso, a Colombian disabled athlete, counts money earned by selling pocket calendars on the motorway in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Colombian disabled athletes take part in a wheelchair rugby training at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Cristian Amaya, a Colombian disabled athlete, falls to the floor during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • A Colombian disabled athlete is pushed on the foot bridge of the public transport station after wheelchair rugby training in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Colombian disabled athletes work out during a wheelchair rugby training at Arcangeles gym in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Cristian Amaya, Moises Alonso and Charly Neme, Colombian disabled athletes, fight for the ball during a wheelchair rugby training match at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Leonardo Vera, a Colombian disabled athlete, in action during a wheelchair rugby training at the indoor sporting arena Coliseo in Bogota, Colombia.

  • Copyright © 2017 Jan Sochor

Murderball Wheelchair rugby in Colombia

Bogota, Colombia

January – April 2013

Wheelchair rugby (quad rugby), a full-contact team sport, was developed in Canada in 1977 under the name ‘murderball’. The game is played by two teams of up to twelve players with some form of disability in both the upper and lower limbs, mostly people with cervical spinal injuries (quadriplegics). Four players from each team play on the court at any time in specially armored wheelchairs with a front bumper, designed to strike opposing wheelchairs. During four eight-minute quarters players roughly crash into each other, attempting to score by carrying the ball across the goal line.

Although the team from Bogota is supported by the Arcangeles Foundation (gear, gym), the wheelchair rugby players, mostly coming from the remote, socially deprived neighbourhoods, often can not attend a training due to lack of funds for transportation. In spite of being physically disabled some of the athletes have to work on the street to make a humble living. However, all the members of the Bogota quad rugby team still dream of representing Colombia at Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games.

Photography by Jan Sochor
Sound recorded by Jan Sochor

Photo license