Adam Bailey

British Wheelchair Basketball has today announced the dates and venues for selection events for the 2021 School Games National Finals. 

With the return of the School Games now only two months away, athletes of school age who are interested in representing their region/Home Nation at the School Games are invited to attend the trials, which will be led by each team’s appointed coach. 

Each region/Home Nation will be holding their own selection camp in July, with the 2021 School Games taking place at Loughborough University from 2-5 September 2021. The Wheelchair Basketball competition will be played with the 3X3 format and will feature separate boys’ and girls’ competitions. 

A full list of trial dates and venues are below, and all athletes interested in attending must sign-up in advance via Playwaze. Please note: To attend a selection camp, athletes need to be a BWB 2020/21 Member (this includes 2021 Pre-Season Membership). 

Scotland

Saturday 24th July, Regional Performance Centre, Mains Loan, Dundee, DD4 7AA – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/scotland-regional-association/7jrk1two2rff/groupplaymanager-display/b3t1bzlvea3q5h/20210705    

England North

Sunday 25th July, National Basketball Performance Centre, Kirkmanshulme Lane, Manchester M12 4TF – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/groupplaymanager-display/j36mebqo3myj/20210705   

Sunday 1st August, Leeds Becket University, Headingley Campus, Leeds, LS6 3QS – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/groupplaymanager-display/4ytjkn4ibs/20210705   

England Central

Sunday 25th July, Nottingham Wildcats Arena, Greenwood Road, Sneinton, Nottingham NG3 7ED – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/groupplaymanager-display/4cb3p6pkkb/20210705   

Saturday 31st July, University of Worcester Arena, WR2 5JN – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/groupplaymanager-display/lp3cv59i8z/20210705  

England South

Sunday 25th July, K2 Crawley, Pease Pottage Hill, Crawley RH11 9BQ – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/groupplaymanager-display/kzwyc2j1iarg1y/20210705   

Saturday 31st July, Aldershot Garrison Sports Centre, Rawlinson Rd, Aldershot GU11 2LQ – https://bwbw.playwaze.com/activity/corh35n4y4/groupplaymanager-display/udoyntpgwvb27d/20210705   

Wales

Saturday 24th July, Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, CF11 9SW –

Girls: https://bwbw.playwaze.com/wales-wheelchair-basketball/jb5p758t7abic/groupplaymanager-display/zibcap19q4

Boys: https://bwbw.playwaze.com/wales-wheelchair-basketball/jb5p758t7abic/groupplaymanager-display/vquohgtakq8/20210713

The full Athlete Selection Policy can be viewed here and the competition’s Rules and Regulations here. 

To be eligible to compete at the 2021 School Games, each athlete must be age 17 or under on 31 August 2020 (the youngest age a player must be is 13 at Midnight on 31st August 2021) and must be registered as a paid BWB member with BWB for the 2021/22 season, in addition to holding a player licence for the 2021/22 season. They must also have been within full-time education in the 2020/21 Academic year. 

Eligibility requirements for the different England regions and Home Nations is listed in the Athlete Selection Policy. 

If you have any questions or queries about the selection events, please contact membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk or on 01509 279900. 

British Wheelchair Basketball has today announced the sport will move to Stage 3 of its Return to Play Matrix from Wednesday (23 June), permitting contact training to return across the UK, in line with BWB’s Return to Play Guidance. 

As the sport has moved cautiously through its Return to Play, this has allowed BWB to take the next step, despite the delay to the next phase of re-opening nationally. The move to Stage 3 will allow participants to return to passing a ball to each other and games within a training environment for the first time since before the pandemic. 

Ahead of the move to Stage 3, BWB has today updated its Matrix and published Stage 3 Guidance which clubs and participants must follow if returning to contact training. 

As with all other Return to Play Stages, all participants must only return to Stage 3 activity by their own informed choice through an ‘Opt-in’ and consent process. The Stage 3 Guidance (which can be viewed here) outlines the measures that clubs and participants must follow, including regular cleaning (every 15 minutes) and the requirement of lateral flow testing for stage 3 activity.   

Another change for Stage 3 is that the limit on the number of people attending the sessions is now dependent on club’s Home Country guidelines and venue capacity, with social distancing of at least 2m+ still the expectation at all other times aside from during play. 

While this will no doubt be welcome news to many involved in the sport, for clubs who are not yet in a position to return to contact training, Stage 1 and Stage 2 Guidance is still applicable and can be viewed here. 

Following the recent Government announcement regarding the delay to the lifting of national restrictions, BWB has amended the date of permitting competitions to return under Stage 4 until no sooner than 19 July 2021.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s Membership Team is always here to help and can be contacted via 01509 279900 or membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk.  

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

Great Britain’s Gaz Choudhry was named MVP twice across the weekend as he was one of five GB internationals who helped BSR Amiab Albacete claim their first ever Copa del Rey title to end another successful season for GB athletes in Spain. 

Choudhry, Harry Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh were all part of the history-making Albacete team who beat league champions Bidaideak Bilbao BSR in Sunday’s final after two days of intense action. 

Picking-up the MVP awards in both the quarter-finals and final, Choudhry recorded 94 points, 27 rebounds and 13 assists during Albacete’s three games, as he ended the weekend as the competition’s top points scorer. 

In the final, Gaz Choudhry scored a game-high 34 points as Albacete beat Bilbao 86:76, to add to the 37 and 23 points he scored in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively. His tally of 37 points against Mideba Extremadura included seven three-pointers as he finished with a weekend-high 11 maximums. 

It was a complete team performance from Albacete throughout the weekend with all five British players at the centre of their historic win. 

Lee Manning was again in the thick of the action at both ends of the court, scoring 47 points, including 12 in the final, while topping the rebound standings in all three games. His total of 41 rebounds at an average of 13.7 rebounds per game was the best rebound average of the weekend. 

Kyle Marsh and Ben Fox both added 13 points to Albacete’s points tally in the final, while Harry Brown scored four points as his total of 12 points came thanks to one of the best points conversion rates of the weekend. 

Marsh totalled 52 points across the weekend, earning the MVP award in Albacete’s semi-final victory over CD Ilunion; a fixture which saw Marsh lead the game’s points standings with 30 points. It was also a game which saw CD Ilunion’s dominance in the competition come to an end having won every edition since 2011. 

Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton did, however, ensure CD Ilunion ended their campaign with victory, scoring six and 12 points, respectively, in the 3^rd/4^th play-off thanks to a 76:64 win over Fundacion Aliados. 

Warburton scored a team-high 15 points and Bywater nine points in the semi-final which saw Albacete claim the victory by 10 points and book their place in the final. Earlier on Saturday, Warburton top-scored in CD Ilunion’s 65:50 quarter-finals triumph over Mideba Extremadura with Warburton posting 20 points and Bywater four. 

Phil Pratt and Billy Bridge were both in action for Mideba as Pratt topped the game’s standings for both assists and rebounds. Pratt, who also scored a joint team-high 14 points, recorded nine assists and nine rebounds. Bridge ended his first season back in Spain by scoring nine points. 

James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria came close to knocking out silver medallists Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, narrowly losing 63:62 in Saturday morning’s quarter-finals. MacSorley played the full 40 minutes, and was clinical under the basket, scoring 12 points with the best two-points conversation rate of the weekend. 

Abdi Jama scored eight points as Amivel lost 52:68 to Fundacion Aliados in the quarter-finals, while Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack were both in action for Amfiv in their 81:66 defeat to 2021 champions Albacete in the opening game. 

With the Copa del Rey bringing to an end the 2020/21 club season, the GB athletes will now join-up with their fellow GB teammates as the countdown continues until the start of the re-scheduled Tokyo Paralympic Games (24 August-5 September 2021). 

Update (21 June 2021): Further to the delay to Stage 4 (Competition) Return to Play – please note the 3×3 Ball Out competition will now take place on Saturday 7 August at Leeds Carnegie Sports Centre, Headingley Campus, Leeds LS6 3QQ, UK.

British Wheelchair Basketball has teamed-up with Ball Out 3×3 to bring the exciting new format of 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball to London this summer as excitement continues to build ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The Ball Out 3×3 National Tour is the UK’s premier 3×3 tournament and for the first time the 2021 tour will include a BWB sanctioned Wheelchair Basketball competition.

Open to Wheelchair Basketball teams from across the UK, both the Adult and Junior wheelchair basketball competitions will be played at August’s Leeds event of the Ball Out 3×3 National Tour on Saturday 7 August.

Teams can now register to compete in the event which will be held less than 12 months before the 3×3 format takes centre stage during Wheelchair Basketball’s Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022.

To register, teams need to email membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk with their team name and the name of their team administrator. Entry fees are £15 per junior and £30 per adult team.

All team members need to have one of the 2020/21 BWB Memberships (adult/ junior/pre-season adult or pre-season junior) and a player licence. A maximum squad of four is permitted along with one team staff member, who must also be registered for 2020/21 and appropriately licenced.

Ball Out is also looking for volunteers and two licensed British Wheelchair Basketball referees to assist in the administration of the event which is a great opportunity to get event experience for anyone looking to get involved in next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Commenting on todays’ exciting news, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Participation Director, Jo Richards said:

“Ball Out 3×3 has a fantastic reputation of delivering brilliant 3×3 events so we’re really excited to be able to partner with Ball Out 3×3 as Wheelchair Basketball competition is added to this fantastic showcase of 3×3 for the first time.

“3×3 Wheelchair Basketball is a new but really exciting format which will no doubt make it one of the sports to watch at next year’s Commonwealth Games. The Ball Out 3×3 event will be a fantastic way to continue the countdown to Birmingham 2022 and our development of a 3×3 pathway moving forward.”

Ball Out 3×3 is part of the global network of open tournaments, from grassroots to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, and are at the forefront of the development of 3×3 basketball and now 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball.

Ball Out 3×3 founder, Julius Joseph added:

“This year’s National Tour is going to be bigger than ever, and we’re delighted to be working with British Wheelchair Basketball to bring our first ever 3×3 Wheelchair Basketball competition to London this summer.

“The Wheelchair Basketball exhibition game in 2018 was an amazing success – the fast-pace, impressive skills and frenetic action making it a must-watch event, so we can’t wait to see teams going head-to-head in Finsbury Park during what promises to be two days of enthralling competition.

“Ball Out 3×3 is incredibly passionate about introducing 3×3 to a wider audience and, with just over a year to go until the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, we can’t wait to show how inclusive and exciting the sport is during our biggest year of events yet.”

The Ball Out 3X3 Wheelchair Basketball competition is subject to British Wheelchair Basketball moving to Stage 4 of its Return to Play Matrix when competitions will be permitted to return in line with the NGB’s guidance.

It’s the final weekend of club action for the GB athletes playing in Spain as the Copa del Rey looks set to provide a thrilling finale to the 2020/21 season.

Fourteen GB internationals are set to be in action with the top-eight clubs after the first half of the Division de Honor season going head-to-head in the annual cup competition.

It’s a competition that Terry Bywater has fond memories of having won nine Copa del Rey titles during his career to date and this weekend he will be hoping he and Gregg Warburton can help CD Ilunion claim the trophy the Madrid-based club have won every year since 2011.

CD Ilunion come up against Warburton’s former club Mideba Extremadura in Saturday’s quarter-finals when George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt will be hoping to get the better of their two compatriots.

The winner of the Ilunion-Mideba game will face another head-to-head battle between GB athletes in the semi-finals as BSR Amiab Albacete take on Iberconsa Amfiv in what will be a home tournament for Albacete with the games being played in Albacete and the nearby town of La Roda.

In the other side of the draw, James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria take on Division de Honor champions Bidaideak Bilbao BSR in the quarter-finals, with Abdi Jama’s Amivel playing their opening game against Fundacion Aliados.

The semi-finals will be played on Saturday afternoon before the Final at 10am (UK Time) on Sunday.

Below is the game schedule and how you can watch (all listed as UK Times):

Saturday 5 June

16:00 – Semi-Final 1 – CD Ilunion or Mideba Extremadura v BSR Amiab Albacete or Iberconsa Amfiv

18:00 – Semi-Final 2 – Amivel or Fundacion Aliados v Bidaideak Bilbao BSR v BSR ACE Gran Canaria

Sunday 6 June

07:45 – 3^rd/4^th Play-Off

10:00 – Final

Watch all the games live via: https://tupuedestv.com/

BWB Membership for the 2021/22 season is now open along with a new pre-season membership for anyone wanting to return to activity this summer who has not already purchased 2020/21 Membership. 

With the sport continuing its return to play, the new pre-season membership offers Adults (£5) and Juniors (£3) the opportunity to receive the benefits of BWB Membership during the months of June, July and August 2021 as they return to activity, in accordance with BWB’s Return to Play Matrix. 

Today (1 June) also sees the 2021/22 Membership period begin with both Adult and Junior Membership now available to purchase ahead of a hopeful return of BWB Competitions in the Autumn, if Government restrictions allow. 

Priced at £30 for Adult Membership and £15 for Junior Membership, 2021/22 BWB Membership will include a variety of benefits, including involvement in BWB competitions (for all roles subject to appropriate licenses), BWB partner discounts, enhanced personal accident insurance and free access to BWB Learning. 

Anyone involved in National and Local Leagues and Competitions, as a player, coach, official, welfare officer, classifier, team staff or holds a club role, must purchase membership. Full membership is also needed to gain player, coaching, classifier, team staff, refereeing and officiating licenses. 

Another membership option has been added for the 2021/22 season which is free and permits members access to Inspire a Generation activities and recreational level wheelchair basketball including non-competitive players, IAG Participants and Community Activators. This is aimed at members who participate but do not play in leagues or competitions. 

BWB Membership can be renewed via the BWB App, BWB Online Membership Portal or via the Membership page on the BWB website. The Membership Terms and Conditions have also been updated which can be viewed here. 

Today’s opening of the membership period follows last week’s publication of a timeline for the membership and registration period, with team registration already open for the 2021/22 season. 

Clubs can now enter teams into BWB National League, Women’s League and Junior League competitions for the 2021/22 season. Any club wishing to enter teams in any BWB National competition will need to contact membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk in advance of registering so an administrator can be assigned to the team on the BWB Membership Portal.  

If you do have any questions or queries, our Membership Team are always happy to help and they can be contacted via membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk or 01509 279900.