Objectives Although there are many studies investigating the effect of core stabilization on sportive performance in athletes, studies investigating its effect on disabled athletes are insufficient. This study aims to investigate the effects of core stabilization in wheelchair basketball players. Equipment and methods The study was planned as a randomized controlled single-blind study. 31 wheelchair basketball players were included in the study. In addition to routine basketball training, the core-training group (n = 15) was given core stabilization training 3 days a week for 12 weeks by a physiotherapist. The control group (n = 16) continued the routine basketball-training program. The demographic information of the athletes, core strength, core endurance, sitting balance and sports performance were evaluated. The evaluations were repeated before the core exercise training, at the end of the training (12th week), and at the 6th month. Results It was observed that the core strength, core endurance, and sitting balance of the core-training group increased significantly (P < 0.05), and there was no significant change in sports performance (P > 0.05). The control group's core endurance, sitting balance, and sports performance significantly decreased between the two evaluation periods of 6 months (P < 0.05). Conclusions The study was conducted under COVID-19 pandemic conditions, and the intensity of the athletes` training programs decreased due to the inability to perform in the competitions. This may have affected the results of our study. We suggest that adding core exercises to the training programs can be beneficial for wheelchair basketball
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