A very nervous wait for the Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team came to a very happy ending tonight, when they won the right to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The Gliders defeated Korea 84-11 in the final qualifying match at the 2011 Asia Oceania Championships in Goyang, Korea, securing a spot at next year’s Games.

With four nations vying for the two qualification spots, it came down to the final two round robin games today which saw Australia needing to beat Korea to progress, along with the winner of the match between Japan and China.

On the other hand, the Australian wheelchair rugby team qualified for the Games with relative ease. It was a day to savour for the Australian wheelchair rugby team today in Icheon, Korea.

Not only did the Steelers defeat Japan 59-41 in the gold medal match at the 2011 Asia Oceania Championships, but their 63-37 victory over Korea in the semi-final earlier in the day secured their place at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Australia and Japan will now represent the Asia Oceania region in the eight-team draw at the Paralympic Games beginning on August 29 next year, joining the United States, Canada, Sweden, Belgium, France and Great Britain.

And although the Australians and Japan are ranked number two and three in the world respectively, a gulf between the two teams was evident all week, and never more so, than in the final.

When the Steelers forced three Japanese turnovers in the opening three minutes of the gold medal match, it was clear that there would not be a surprise ending to the tournament the Steelers simply dominated from the start.

Powerhouse Ryley Batt was at his menacing best in the final, and with co-captains Cameron Carr and Ryan Scott, and led by example as the Steelers converting their leads at every break into the emphatic 18-goal victory.