“The best game I ever played? I don’t know, probably every game, just because I’ve enjoyed it and had fun”
Conor Coughlan plays wheelchair basketball for the Cork Rebel Wheelers as well as the Irish national team. Additionally, the 23-year-old is pursuing a master’s degree in Business Management at the University of Limerick.
After a few seconds of reconsidering, he commits: “My best game was against France this summer”. Conor took part in the European Para Youth Games in Istanbul. Ireland met France in their first match of the tournament, winning 40-35. Conor explains that the
French coach came to him after the game. He told him that every time he saw him getting the ball, he thought “Oh no, this will be a basket again”.
Excited for the 8️⃣ members of @IWASport selected to represent @ParalympicsIRE in wheelchair basketball at the European Para Youth Games
▪️Conor Coughlan, Darragh O’Regan, Jack Quinn, Rory Motherway, Oisin O’Connor, Conor Dufficy, Oran Spain and Ethan Leonard.#Greenmeansgo… pic.twitter.com/RF2zPMBp6S
— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) July 3, 2025
He continues: “When you hear the very experienced French coach coming up and saying that to you, that is obviously a really nice feeling”.
Conor explains that he was born with a “rare condition of dwarfism along with other abnormalities”. He lives a normal life, he is able to drive and is studying at university. Therefore, wheelchair basketball was a great opportunity for him, because “you don’t need to have a disability to play, everybody can participate”.
He got into wheelchair basketball only by the age of 12: “I was able-bodied until I was 12, and then it got to the point where the others started getting taller and I could not keep up with the physicality and the pace of the game anymore”. It was at that point that he got introduced
to para sport and especially wheelchair basketball: “There was a person from the village next to mine, who actually introduced me to para sport”.
Back then, Conor was not really aware of para sport: “I did not know para sport even existed at that point. So, I got into it pretty late”. Even more impressive are therefore his appearances for the Irish national team and the level at which he is playing.
“I was treated as if I had no disability. I think that’s why I have such a strong
interest in sports now”.
Before getting into wheelchair basketball, Conor tried a variety of different sports. His parents played a role in that as well: “When I was a child, my parents threw me into a bunch of different sports, I was treated as if I had no disability. I think that’s why I have such a strong
interest in sports now”.
Besides wheelchair basketball, Conor likes to spend his free time doing any other sports related activities; “I don’t really calm down, I am always active. I like going for a swim, or playing some hurling. I also enjoy playing some [NBA] 2K or FIFA on the PlayStation with the boys”. Further, he sees it as his hobby to follow sports events as able-bodied basketball and soccer.
He also has a sports person he looks up to: “My idol is Matt Rostan. He is a pro wheelchair basketballer and has been around for years. The way he plays, his speed, he sees the game differently. He is also sort of my motivator. We get along really well and have a good relationship”.
His plan for the next few years is to finish his masters first of all. Afterwards he wants to “go to Europe to play wheelchair basketball there”. Conor has “a few offers from Spanish, Italian, French and German teams”. He wants to enter the professional wheelchair basketball stage. He is very open on how long he will play there: “that will be a matter of how much I like my experiences on the professional stage”.