The balls for the Rio 2016 tournaments have been revealed ©IWBF

The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) have announced that the balls used in the Rio 2016 Olympic competition will also feature in the Paralympics.

Molten’s branded BGL7X-YG and BGL6X-YG basketballs will be used by players this September when the action gets underway in the Brazilian city.

The IWBF have approved a special edition design to adorn the official balls.

This will reflect “the movement and agility of the most elite players in the world and will add excitement to the game for players and spectators alike”, it is claimed.

IWBF secretary general Maureen Orchard welcomed the announcement.

“We are proud to announce we will be using these unique basketballs that will be also used in the basketball in the Olympic Games,” she said.

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Molten balls will be used in both the wheelchair basketball and basketball tournaments in Rio ©Getty Images

Wheelchair basketball will be played at the Rio Olympic Training Center and the Rio Olympic Arena.

Twelve teams will play in the men’s tournament with ten in the women’s.

Competition will be played between September 8 and 17.

Kiyofumi Tamiaki, President and chief executive of Molten Corporation, said: "Molten is committed to developing the best sports equipment for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the larger basketball community.

“We are looking forward to being a part of these world-class competitions."

The special edition balls will be made available for sale to the general public on July 1.