Brixton Ballers recover stolen wheelchair

David Batista with coach Austin Kentebe
David Batista with coach Austin Kentebe

Wheelchair basketball player David Batista has his £5,000 sport chair back after a sting operation involving the police led to its return.

Percy Hutchful, coach of the Brixton Ballers wheelchair basketball team based at the Rec, thanked the national wheelchair basketball community for the way they rallied round after the theft was announced.

He said that the club had been contacted anonymously by someone offering to sell it a sports wheelchair.

The stolen wheelchair
The stolen wheelchair

A former Brixton Ballers player agreed to meet the seller in order to check if it was the stolen chair that was being offered for sale.

The meeting confirmed that it was the stolen chair, so the police were notified and a sting meeting set up last week that resulted in the return of the chair.

“A huge thank you goes out to the wheelchair basketball community nationally. Many of whom got in touch offering help and advice,” said Percy Hutchful.

The stolen chair is designed for elite athletes and was donated to the club which has played and trained at Brixton Rec for more than seven years.