4 December, 2017

British Wheelchair Basketball Opens GB Elite Training Centre

British Wheelchair Basketball marks 1000 days to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games with the launch of its GB teams Elite Training Centre.

The Elite Training Centre at EIS Sheffield, which officially opened on Wednesday 29th November 2017, will be home to both the men and women’s GB Performance Programmes. The Centre, which was funded by UK Sport and Sport England, will provide a regular training venue to the GB centralised programmes, and host the monthly men’s GB camps.  It will also nurture the sports future stars by hosting many of the GB talent pathway camps and events.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s relocation to Sheffield followed an extensive review process which was undertaken by the NGB with the support of UK Sport’s ETC Programme Team, with a firm focus of identifying a facility which would enable the teams’ success at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and beyond.

It was therefore only fitting on the day that marked 1000 days to Tokyo 2020 that the new home of British Wheelchair Basketball welcomed guests from across the sports sector as well as the local area to celebrate its new venue, with the focus of the day firmly looking ahead to the Tokyo Games.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s Performance Director, Paul Davies commented: “EIS Sheffield provides the GB Performance Programme the opportunity to offer our athletes a dedicated training centre with a purpose laid, world class, international specification court. Our athletes will also train alongside other successful Olympic and Paralympic sports, in a centre of sporting excellence, this is a place within which we can generate a truly inspirational environment.”

Acting CEO for British Wheelchair Basketball, Jo Richards believes that a dedicated training venue will enable the GB Teams to achieve greater success and comments:

“It is an exciting time for British Wheelchair Basketball, there is such a wealth of talented players developing through the UK domestic leagues and into our GB programmes.

“As well as offering our GB players a world-class training venue, EIS Sheffield will also become an aspirational destination for our league junior players to one day train on the same court as their GB heroes.”

Speaking at the launch Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said:

“I believe that great facilities will inspire truly great performances. To have a place like this, where British Wheelchair Basketball can centralise, bring in the best coaching support, medical support and technical support all under one roof and really have a place that BWB’s Performance Programme and GB athletes can call home – it makes a difference.

“This venue will inspire even greater things to come. As athletes, you have deserved and earned this and UK sport is very proud of this partnership.”

Lorenzo Clark, Director of Operations, Sheffield City Trust Group is delighted to welcome such a prestigious para sport to EIS Sheffield.

“We are passionate about developing EIS Sheffield into a hub of sporting excellence. We are immensely proud to see so many GB athletes regularly using our training facilities from many different sports. Visitors using the centre will often find themselves working out right next to an elite athlete.

“Sheffield has a rich heritage of basketball and wheelchair basketball, we are delighted that British Wheelchair Basketball has chosen to make EIS Sheffield its new home.”

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