South Korea (IWBF) - On the coattails of the successful 2014 IWBF World Championship tournament hosted in Incheon last summer, the Korea Wheelchair Basketball Federation (KWBF) has announced the formation of a semi-professional league that will begin this year.

The Korea Times reported that the KWBF, inspired by the improvement of their national team, will launch the Korean Wheelchair Basketball League (KWBL), which is expected to become operational in March after acquiring approval from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Last July, Korea finished sixth in the world championships, their highest ranking ever. Three months later, they claimed gold at 2014 Incheon Asian Para Games defeating rivals Japan in the Final.

The league will consist of five semi-professional teams in its inaugural season. There are 18 wheelchair basketball teams in Korea but only two of them were considered semi-professional teams - Seoul Metropolitan Government and Jeju Provincial Government. The KWBL will elevate three more teams to the semi-pro level - Holt Wheelchair Basketball Team, Mugunghwa Electronics Basketball Team and Daegu Wheelchair Basketball Team - to form the league.

Whether the KWBL will include international players from outside Korea is unknown at this point. Currently, the primary options for players looking to earn a living playing the game are the professional leagues in Spain, Germany, and Turkey.

The KWBF said the league will also feature all-star games and provide opportunities for fans to experience the sport.

The federation has good standing in Korea. Rep. Kim Jang-sil of the ruling Saenuri Party, serves as the federation's president.

Byun Hyo-cheol, the executive director of the 2014 Incheon World Wheelchair Basketball Championships (IWWBC) Organizing Committee, has been named president of the KWBL.

"I want to express my deepest gratitude for the government which assisted the launch of the wheelchair basketball league, which has been a long-time wish for the sport's players," Byun said.

"At the same time, I feel a heavy responsibility. I will encourage more teams to become semi-professional and do my utmost for the league to become popular."

FIBA