Adam Bailey

GB players will return to competitive action for the first time in over seven months when the top divisions in Spain and Germany return this weekend.

Twenty-two GB Senior and Academy players will begin their season for their respective clubs on Saturday (31^st October), while 2018 World champion Martin Edwards will have to wait another month before he begins his season in Italy with Special Sport Bergamo Montello next month.

The leagues are being held in line with their respective country COVID-19 restrictions and guidance.

Spain

Sixteen GB players will play for clubs in Spain’s Division de Honour this season, including five at BSR Amiab Albacete.

With Kyle March, Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry and Lee Manning all remaining in Albacete for the 2020/21 season, there is a familiar British feel to the Albacete line-up. This season it’s been boosted further by the arrival of Ben Fox, who will team-up with his fellow GB teammates from the 2019 European Championships winning team having moved from Mideba Extremadura.

BSR Amiab Albacete begin their season away at Bidaideak Bilbao BSR on Saturday (16:00 UK Time).

Albacete were the leading title contenders in the table, along with Terry Bywater’s CD Ilunion, before the 2019/20 season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

CD Ilunion will once again feature the all-round shooting of Bywater for the 2020/21 campaign, and the Madrid-based club have added additional GB firepower to their team with the addition of 2018 World Championships MVP Gregg Warburton.

Speaking ahead of the season opening fixture, Warburton said:

“I’m really happy to be joining CD Ilunion and to be playing for one of the biggest clubs around and partnering up with Terry. He has helped me settle into the club and the city and I hope to have many successful years here just as he has done.

“I can’t wait to get back to competitive games this weekend after such a long time without it. The Spanish league is exceptionally strong again this year and I’m excited to play alongside my new teammates and also to go up against different teams with different looks and the challenge of world class competition week in, week out.”

Bywater and Warburton will begin their seasons away at Getafe BSR, on the outskirts of Madrid (16:30 UK Time).

Phil Pratt and George Bates remain at Mideba Extremadura this season, and they’ve been joined in Badajoz by 2017 U23 World champion Billy Bridge, who has returned to Spain having previously played in Valladolid.

There will be British interest on both sides of the court when Mideba begin their season away in Malaga at Amivel on Saturday (17:00 UK Time).

Abdi Jama will face his former club when he lines-up for Amivel against Mideba. It’s a move which sees Jama re-united with friend and three-time Paralympian Ade Orogbemi. It was Orogbemi who actually introduced Jama to wheelchair basketball after visiting his school and the pair went on to both be a part of the Great Britain teams at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Paralympic Games.

Iberconsa Amfiv and BSR ACE Gran Canaria is another GB head-to-head with Sam Mack and Lewis Edwards remaining at Amfiv this season, while 2018 World champion James MacSorley is back at Gran Canaria.

GBR Academy athletes Will Bonner and Lee Fryer have made the move to play aboard for the first time, joining Servigest Burgos for the 2020/21 season. They host Fundacion Vital Zuzenak in their opening fixture.

Germany

Ian Sagar has moved from Special Sport Bergamo in Italy to Germany to join Simon Brown at RSV Lahn-Dill, who finished second in the RBBL1 table last season. Lahn-Dill begin their 2020/21 season with an away trip to Doneck Dolphins Trier on Saturday (14:00 UK Time).

Commenting on the move to Germany, Sagar said: “These past 10 months have felt like 10 years without a game of basketball. To step out on the court for the best, most renowned team in Europe is a dream come true. I feel like a rookie again and can’t wait to get started.”

Three-time Paralympian Helen Freeman has moved back to Germany, after a previous spell in Cologne, joining RSB Thüringia Bulls, who led the way last season. Last year’s table toppers host ING Skywheelers at 19:00 (UK Time) on Saturday.

On the move back to Germany, Freeman said: “I’m very excited to get started with the Bulls. After the cancellation of the leagues back in the spring, I think everyone has been counting down the days until we can play again so I’m sure Saturday will be a lot of fun.”

Thomas Smith has swapped Spain for Germany, signing for Baskets 96 Rahden, where he will be joined by 2017 U23 World champion Peter Cusack, who will play abroad for the first time. The pair will go head-to-head with Jim Palmer and Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden in their opening fixture on Saturday (16:00 UK Time).

More information on the European leagues, including how you can watch the games can be found on the respective league websites below:

Spain

Germany

British Wheelchair Basketball has today underpinned its commitment to championing and embedding equality, inclusion and diversity across the sport with the publication of the four promises. 

Committed to ensuring there are equal opportunities for all, the development of our promises will strengthen diversity in all forms across the sport, including ethnicity, gender, disability and LGBTQ+.  

Over the last few months, we, as a sport and an organisation, have had chance to reflect on what equality, inclusion and diversity means to our sport; a sport that continues to be regarded as one of the most-inclusive sports, allowing people regardless of age, ability and gender, to unite together on court.  

Our Promise: 

Participation – Wheelchair basketball is an inclusive sport open for all to play. We are committed to removing barriers to participation and GB pathway progression, by working with local communities and partners to ensure that everyone is welcomed and supported in their pursuit of activity.  

We will specifically work to identify and address the inequalities evident in the sport and will immediately put in place ‘Equality Impact Assessments’ for all British Wheelchair Basketball activity. We will monitor the success of our interventions and activities through participation data analysis, evaluation and consultative feedback.  

Education and Training – We believe in the power of learning, to better enable ourselves, our clubs and participants to benefit from the many educational and training opportunities which will support our sport to embed strong inclusivity, equality and diversity practices.  

We have put in place an education programme which is compulsory for all NGB staff to ensure that informed choices and decisions are always made in respect of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. For our clubs and participants, we will deliver an education, training and workshop calendar which will offer development opportunities from understanding unconscious bias to recognising inequality. 

Representation – Through the representation of our sport in the media, digital platforms and communication activities, we promise to always project positive and inclusive images/stories of wheelchair basketball and its participants.  

We will work to address and challenge inequality in representation through working with media and sporting partners to ensure that appropriate content and positioning are always adopted.  

Process and Policies – We are committed to building a world-class national governing body, which can only be achieved if our governance practices support our fundamental belief that wheelchair basketball is a sport open to all.  

We will undertake a full review of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, as well as reviewing existing policies and processes in place to effect change which will support the NGBs pursuit of equality.   

We recognise that there is still so much we can do to improve the diversity in our sport, and we continue to reflect, discuss and challenge ourselves on what we must do better. On the conclusion of Black History Month, where we have celebrated stories from within our sport, one of the areas that British Wheelchair Basketball’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Group has been looking at the representation from diverse ethnic communities in the sport with the group’s findings for BWB and the wider sport outlined below: 

• Currently 29% staff of BWB are ethnically diverse
• Currently 9.3% of BWB’s Membership are ethnically diverse
• Currently 7% of Men in the Paralympic Performance Pathway are ethnically diverse
• Currently 2% of Women in the Paralympic Performance Pathway are ethnically diverse
• Currently 6% of Coaches are ethnically diverse
• Currently 6% of Officials are ethnically diverse

This is in comparison of 2019/20 BWB figures to the 13% of the UK population who are ethnically diverse, according to the combined 2011 censuses for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  
 

We are committed to increasing black, Asian and minority ethnic representation across the sport and we have already developed and begun to implement a number of new strategies to increase representation from diverse ethnic communities across participation, coaches, officials and the Performance Pathway over the next three years.  

The publication of our Promises will support us to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of everything we do.  

Today is the end of Black History Month but we are determined to keep the conversation going.  

We will continue to listen, support and work towards making change happen because sport should be for ALL.  

#TogetherWeAreBritishWheelchairBasketball  

British Wheelchair Basketball welcomes the government’s announcement of a £100 million fund to support local authority leisure centres.

Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, yesterday announced that local authorities will be able to bid for money from the £100 million fund and this funding will be allocated to leisure centres most in need. The £100 million is part of a £1 billion fund to support local authorities through the current challenges.

Lisa Pearce, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Chief Executive, said:

“Yesterday’s announcement is a step in the right direction to ensure sport at community level is able to continue. It is absolutely essential that leisure facilities are protected – they are a vital resource in communities and so important for the health of the nation.

“A third of leisure centres have still not reopened due to the pandemic. Without indoor facilities, our 100 + clubs, who provide such an important service for the 17,000 people who play Wheelchair basketball in the UK, would be unable to operate.”

Sport England’s most recent Active Lives survey painted a bleak picture, with the number of people meeting the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week falling by 7.1%, just over three million people, in the first two months of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pearce added:

“The Active Lives survey shows the impact that the pandemic has had on sport in England. The health and wellbeing of the nation has never been more important, and we must do all we can to ensure facilities are open and accessible for all.

“I think yesterday’s announcement is a positive step but more needs to be done to allow sport to survive and thrive. We look forward to seeing further details of the scheme in the coming weeks.”

Caernarfon Celts and Cheshire Phoenix Wheelchair Basketball coach Fran Evans has been announced as one of the finalists for this year’s UK Coaching Awards.

Nominated for Young Coach of the Year, the 21-year-old, who also coaches tennis and boccia, has been volunteering since the age of 14. Evans has also managed the Under 19 Welsh wheelchair basketball team and most recently trained as a COVID-19 Officer to allow Caernarfon Celts to return to training.

The showpiece event, seen as one of the most prestigious within the coaching community, will be held virtually on Thursday, 3 December to honour and reward the work of coaches across the UK.

The annual awards ceremony aims to recognise the contribution coaches make in transforming lives in communities nationwide – especially poignant this year, against the backdrop of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Speaking about her award nomination, Fran Evans said:

“It feels unreal, something I never expected and it’s really uplifting considering how this year has been given the current circumstances. It makes me really look forward to getting back to coaching and developing my knowledge once the world is a safer place.

“It’s such an achievement to be a finalist at the UK Coaching Awards, something I will always be proud of.”  

UK Coaching’s Director of Coaching Emma Atkins, added:

“The UK Coaching Awards is a true highlight of the year and although December’s event will look slightly different, it is more important than ever to recognise the outstanding contributions of coaches in communities across the country this year.

“Over three million people regularly coach across the UK and I’ve been absolutely blown away with how quickly coaches were able to adapt during the pandemic to continue meeting the needs of their participants, from grassroots to elite level.

“I would like to offer huge congratulations to Fran and all of those who have been nominated for awards. The standard of nominations we received this year was extraordinary, demonstrating the impact that great coaches have had this year.

“Thank you to all our coaches across the UK, and to our finalists. We are all looking forward to celebrating your achievements in December.”

Find out more about all of this year’s finalists and the announcements on booking virtual tickets by heading to ukcoaching.org/coachingawards.

British Wheelchair Basketball is delighted to hear Great Britain’s Terry Bywater has been appointed to represent the European Zone on the IWBF Athlete Steering Committee.

The five-time Paralympian has been involved in the sport at the highest level for 20 years, making his debut for Great Britain at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games when he was just 17-years-old.

A popular and well-known figure within the sport, the 37-year-old, from Middlesbrough, has competed at 20 major championships, claiming 14 senior international medals. His most recent international achievements saw Bywater secure his fourth European gold medal in September 2019, a year after helping the GB Men to an historic World title in Hamburg.

Speaking about his appointment to the IWBF Athlete Steering Committee, Bywater said:

“I’m very happy to have been chosen for this role and excited to be part of the Committee to help shape how the athletes voice is heard within IWBF and its organisation in the future.

“With over 20 years of experience playing wheelchair basketball at the highest level and playing in 20 major championships, I know exactly how an athlete thinks and what an athlete needs.

“I’m very passionate about the sport that I love and have dedicated my life to. I feel that I have the qualities to be on the Athlete Steering Committee and to help IWBF as much as I can moving forward.”

Bywater, who first started playing wheelchair basketball at age 13, added:

“I feel it’s very important to have athlete representation within IWBF to help make the correct decisions to not only shape the sport for the here and now but also for the future.

“The future of our wonderful sport is down to the athletes and we need to make sure we keep improving on all levels making the future of wheelchair basketball even better than what it is now with lots of great competitions across the globe.”

Bywater’s appointment to the IWBF Athlete Steering Committee follows the departure of Netherlands’ Carina De Rooij, who stood down due to personal commitments and time constraints.

The IWBF Athlete Steering Committee was set-up to support IWBF in establishing and institutionalising a common voice for IWBF athletes in the governance of the sport with the establishment of an IWBF Players’ Commission.

The group have been actively preparing, discussing a number of topics such as how to establish and elect a future Players’ Commission, how the Commission shall be composed, and what duties they shall carry out.

The Steering Committee have invited all international wheelchair basketball players to have their say in shaping the future commission. Find out how you can have your say here.

BWB Members who sign-up for Adult or Junior Membership before the end of October 2020 will be able to take advantage of an exclusive video analysis offer, thanks to BWB partner AnalysisPro. 

In a special offer for BWB Members, AnalysisPro are offering all BWB Adult and Junior Members, who sign-up before the end of next month, a free three-month KlipDraw Animate licence. 

The offer will allow members to use the drawing tools and animations on KlipDraw Animate for video analysis – just like the pundits do when analysing games on TV.

Within one month of the licence expiry, BWB members will then have the chance to take up one of the following offers: 

• Buy a one-year KlipDraw Animate licence with a 10% discount (£117 +VAT) and also get the Nacsport Starter Basketball online course for free. The course will show you how to use Nacsport and apply video analysis processes in basketball and will also get a three-month licence of Nacsport Basic Plus at no cost. 

OR 

• Buy the Nacsport Starter Basketball course for £65 (+VAT) rather than £75 (+VAT) 

Outside of the one-month period, the 10% BWB Member discount will still apply, meaning members will be able to purchase a KlipDraw Animate licence with a 10% discount for £117 (+VAT) or any Nacsport lifetime licence with a 10% discount. 

Anyone interested in taking-up this offer should email membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk to receive the discount code. 

AnalysisPro will be also be hosting two Nacsport video analysis workshops which BWB Members can sign-up to on Playwaze or via https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/get-involved/play/activity-finder/  

Wednesday 4^th November, 7pm – ‘An introduction to Video Analysis and Nacsport – Presented by AnalysisPro’ 

Wednesday 11^th November, 7pm – ‘Team Video Analysis and Nacsport – Presented by AnalysisPro’ 

British Wheelchair Basketball are proud to work with its partners to bring exclusive offers to BWB Members with Kitlocker, Molten and RMA Sport all offering benefits to BWB members. 

View the full list of membership benefits and renew or sign-up for 2020/21 BWB Membership by visiting our membership page. 

British Wheelchair Basketball has today published guidance ahead of the sport moving into STAGE 1 of its Return to Play plan from 1 October 2020, allowing BWB sanctioned activity to return indoors in small groups. 

The STAGE 1 guidance (which can be viewed here) allows BWB sanctioned activity to resume indoors in small groups (full court – up to six people; half-court – up to three people). This complies with the latest Government guidelines (England), issued on Tuesday (22 September), restricting the number of people allowed for indoor team sports to six.  

Any BWB sanctioned activity must adhere to local restrictions imposed by UK and Home Country Governments, and their guidance on social distancing and maximum capacities. (Please note: Always refer to the latest guidance issued by your Home Government, please note this may vary dependant on where you live). 

As with the Mobilisation Stage – which commenced earlier this month – the key messages throughout STAGE 1 uphold the government guidance and focus on mitigating risk regarding spread of infection, while allowing clubs and participants to return to activity should they wish to. 

Two metre social distancing must be observed, and face masks must be worn, and there is no sharing of balls or equipment outside of households. Zoning must also be implemented on court in Stage 1. 

Today’s announcement follows the successful implementation of the Mobilisation Stage at the start of September; which saw some clubs resume activity outdoors in small groups, enabling clubs and participants to put in place the detailed preparations and processes required to facilitate their return. 

Once again, our incredible volunteer network has continued to go above and beyond to support the delivery of our sport throughout this time; with clubs working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to put in place their Return to Play preparations. We extend our sincerest thanks to them for their generosity, time and commitment. 

We would also like to thank all our members for their patience and continued support towards our inclusive approach to Return to Play which sits at the very heart of our sport. 

As stated, when the Return to Play plan was first published in August, the move through the staged Return to Play (Matrix) will be dependent upon two factors. Firstly, the government advice of England and the Home Countries support the transition to the next phase together, and secondly British Wheelchair Basketball, as the Sport NGB, feels confident that our participants and clubs are ready to do so, and are meeting the guidance outlined within the current stage of return. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is, of course, an ever-changing situation, and any changes to the BWB Return to Play guidance will be communicated directly to our members and affiliated clubs, and shared on BWB’s website and social media. 

Stage 1 Key Documents 

Stage 1 Guidance Document: We have issued a comprehensive Guidance document written for our clubs and participants. This is a recommended guidance document intended as a starting-point for the clubs and provided by BWB to assist them with their appropriate response to COVID-19. It is important that everyone reads and understands the full document – if anything is unclear or prompts a question please contact our membership team at membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk 

Updated Staged Return Matrix: We have highlighted some elements of the staged return guidance within an updated Matrix (which can be viewed here), so that participants and clubs can understand the requirements of each stage of Return to Play. Each stage should be informed by the corresponding Guidance Document, which will provide more detailed guidance on each stage. This is a recommended staged return document intended as a starting-point for the clubs and provided by BWB to assist them with their appropriate response to COVID-19 

Please remember that British Wheelchair Basketball and our staff team are here to support all of our members, volunteers and clubs in their Return to Play. Should you need help please email our membership team on membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk or call the office on 01509 279900. 

BWB are hosting a Return to Play webinar for Club Contacts to learn more about the sport’s preparations ahead of the move to indoor activity (Tuesday 29^th September, 7pm; Wednesday 30^th September, 2pm). 

Club Contacts can sign-up via Playwaze or https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/get-involved/play/activity-finder/  

More information can also be found on the Return to Play section on the BWB website: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/return-to-play/  

Twitter 

Facebook 

Instagram