Play was held up at the Invictus Games on Thursday by a late arrival to the wheelchair basketball. Jelle van der Steen, a mainstay of the Dutch national side, had to make a late withdrawal from the tournament after he was hit by illness and forced into surgery. But as his teammates prepared for tip-off in The Hague the former marine was escorted on to the court – in his hospital bed – so he could share the moment. The Netherlands went on to beat Canada 23-10.
It was an incident that sums up the event, which is being staged this year for the fifth time. It sees former service people who experienced life-changing injuries in the line of duty compete in a number of adaptive sports. The Invictus Games is not short on spirit, endeavour or camaraderie, and in the Netherlands this spring – the event ends on Friday – it has grown in scale and prominence once again.
