Abdi Dini
Abdi Fatah Dini (born 1 January 1980) is a proffesional canadian wheelchair basketball player.[1] He is currently on the Canadian Team and has won numerous medals in his international career. He has also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Personal
Dini was born on 1 January 1980 in Somalia, Africa and now resides in Toronto, Ontario. He became paralytic when he was injured by a roadside bomb. He started to play Wheelchair basketball in 1996.[2][1]
Early Career
In 1997, Dini had won first place at World Junior Championships in Toronto which he was named the most valuable player (MVP). He also won first place at the CWBL Junior Finals which he was also named MVP. He won second place at the National Championships in the Canada Games with Team Ontario and was also named an all-star player in Vancouver, BC.[2]
In 1999, Dini won first place in the Canada Games with Team Ontario. Two years later in 2001, he won first with Team Canada in the World Junior Championships in Blumenau, Brazil. Dini had also gotten a third place in the Canada Games with Team Ontario in 2003 and 2007.[2]
International Career
Dini won gold in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China with Team Canada. They had also won second place at the North America Cup in Birmingham, USA. In 2009, Dini with Team Canada won second at the Americas Cup in Richmond, BC and was named an All-star. They had also won second place in the Rollers World Challenge in Australia.[2]
In 2010, Dini won seventh place in the 2010 World Championships. He had also gotten second at Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK. He won third place at the Parapan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2011 and another third place at the International Tournament of Champions in Charlotte, USA. He had also won first place at the Paralympic Cup in Manchester, UK.[2]
In 2012, Dini won first place with Team Canada at the London Paralympic Games in London, England. They had also won first place at the Continental Clash tournament in Worcester, England. One year later, they won sixth place at Americas Cup in Bogota, Colombia, second place at the Kitakyushu Champions Cup in Kitakyushu, Japan and fith place at the Easter Tournament in Blankenberge, Belgium.[2]
In 2014, Team Canada won fifth place at the Easter Tournament in Blankenberge, Belgium.[2]
Awards
In 2009, dini was nominated for the Male athlete with a disability of the year award. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013.[2]