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Abdulgazi Karaman – That's how he rolls

Making the dream come true – with hard work, training and a large portion of luck

25.01.2024

The dream of the Paralympics came true for Abdulgazi Karaman in 1992. Back then, the 53-year-old played for the German wheelchair basketball team and won silver. Today, Abdulgazi Karaman himself is looking for future talents in wheelchair basketball. What he wants from politics and society and how he rolls otherwise, he tells us on REHACARE.com.
Photo: Abdulgazi Karaman smiles to the camera; Copyright: private
Name: Abdulgazi Karaman
Age: 53
City: Niddatal (Hesse), Germany
Occupation: Banker and professional wheelchair basketball player
Disability: Polio
Click here for the (German) wheelchair basketball website: rollstuhlbasketball.de

What makes a day a good day to you?

Abdulgazi Karaman: A good day for me is when you start it with a smile and a hot cup of cappuccino and look forward to the next one at the end of the day.

Which day or moment in your life do you particularly like to remember? And why?

Abdulgazi Karaman: Apart from the birth of my two children, the wonderful moments of my first Paralympic Summer Games in Barcelona in 1992 remain in my memory. They were the biggest motivators for me to fulfill my dream of becoming a professional wheelchair basketball player.

What has been the biggest challenge in your life so far and how did you overcome it?

Abdulgazi Karaman: Making this sporting dream come true and being able to live from it as a professional athlete with a disability was certainly the biggest challenge. And with a lot of hard work, training and a large portion of luck, I succeeded.

Which assistive devices are indispensable for you in everyday life and why?

Abdulgazi Karaman: As an active wheelchair user, my vehicle on four wheels is my indispensable everyday companion.

If you could invent your own assistive device, what would it look like and what would it have to be able to do?

Abdulgazi Karaman: It would be pretty futuristic: Somehow my "Super Hoverboard Wheelchair" would always hover.

Gif animation: REHACARE 2025 from 17 to 20 September 2025 in Düsseldorf/Germany, linked to "More information about the Trade Fair"
Photo: Abdulgazi Karaman sits smiling in front of a green meadow in a wheelchair; Copyright: private

Abdulgazi Karaman was able to turn his passion into a profession and become a professional wheelchair basketball player. In 1992, he won silver with Germany at the Paralympic Summer Games in Barcelona. Today he teaches children about the sport.

What do you wish for from society and your fellow human beings in dealing with people with disabilities?

Abdulgazi Karaman: I think we need to demand the issue of accessibility in public life with even more emphasis at a political and social level. Then the chances will definitely increase that we people with disabilities will become more visible in public and that more "normal" encounters can take place in everyday life as a result.

If nothing were impossible: Who would you like to meet, what place would you like to visit or what time would you like to experience? And why?

Abdulgazi Karaman: This is also one of the fortunate circumstances that I have been able to meet and get to know so many great people on my professional and sporting journeys in so many different countries.

Are there certain topics or initiatives relating to people with disabilities that are particularly close to your heart?

Abdulgazi Karaman: A particularly important project for me, which is very close to my heart, is the "Try Out" organized by the National Paralympic Committee Germany. It's a small, colorful wheelchair basketball camp for children with a wide range of disabilities, where we spend a whole day helping all the kids with tips and tricks and promoting talent in a fun way.

Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.

Abdulgazi Karaman: Well, perhaps I would certainly surprise one or two people if I were to conjure up a homemade "mole cake" for the first time.

What significance does REHACARE have for you?

Abdulgazi Karaman: For me, REHACARE is a wonderful opportunity to talk to experts and interested visitors in an international environment.

What's still on my mind...

Abdulgazi Karaman: I wish us exciting encounters, interesting people with life stories from which we can take a lot of positivity – and a large dose of humor!!!

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