Adam Bailey

Kyle Marsh posted a weekend-high 36 points including six three-pointers as GB players starred for BSR Amiab Albacete in Spain, while the play-offs began in Germany with victories for Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar. 

Marsh led the scoring for Albacete during their dominant 103:29 victory against Fundacion Vital Zuzenak with an impressive display, scoring his first of six maximums inside the opening 10 seconds of the game. Marsh also recorded 10 assists – the second highest of the game behind club and GB teammate Gaz Choudhry.

Choudhry ended the game with his second triple-double of the season, with 18 points and game-high totals for both assists (15) and rebounds (14). The Paralympic bronze medallist is in the top-five for total points scored, total assists and efficiency in Division de Honor this season. 

It was also another efficient display from Lee Manning, scoring 24 points and collecting 10 rebounds as GB internationals scored 89 of Albacete’s points. Nine of those were scored by Ben Fox, who also claimed eight rebounds, while Harry Brown totalled two points and eight assists as Albacete moved back up to second in the table, two points behind league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR. 

Albacete are level on points with James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria, who lost 66:50 to Mideba Extremadura. George Bates and Phil Pratt were both in action for Mideba, with Pratt securing a triple-double in another all-action performance. 

13 points along with game-high totals of 11 assists and 13 rebounds were Pratt’s final match figures. Bates scored 18 points, placing his season average within the top-five leading points scorers in the league. 

MacSorley scored one point for Gran Canaria, who are third in the Division de Honor table. 

Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton both featured in a high-scoring affair between Fundacion Aliados and their team CD Ilunion. Bywater recorded 23 points, a game-leading 10 assists and nine rebounds, while Gregg Warburton scored 10 points to help Ilunion to a 51:96 win, their third successive victory. 

Lee Fryer posted his highest points total of the season so far with 27 points along with seven assists and seven rebounds as Servigest Burgos beat Fundacion FDI Las Rozas, 58:72. Will Bonner scored two points as the two GB Academy athletes continued their debut seasons in Spain. 

There was also an away victory for Abdi Jama as he scored 10 points in Amivel’s 30:78 win at Getafe BSR. Lewis Edwards scored six points as he and Sam Mack both played for Iberconsa Amfiv in their 54:62 defeat to league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR. 

In Germany, both of the RBBL1 Championship play-off semi-finals feature British interest, and there were victories for Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar in the first of the best-of-three semi-final series. 

Brown was among the starters for RSV Lahn-Dill in their 30:66 win at Hannover United, while Sagar scored 10 points from the bench to give Lahn-Dill the advantage heading into this weekend’s second game. 

Freeman and her RSB Thuringia Bulls side hold the advantage in the other semi-final as Freeman helped Bulls to a 49:62 victory in game one against Baskets 96 Rahden. Thomas Smith was in action from the start for Rahden, while Peter Cusack came off the bench to record 10 points and six rebounds.

Most Points (GB Players) 

36 – Kyle Marsh (Spain; Albacete) 

27 – Lee Fryer (Spain; Burgos) 

24 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Assists (GB Players) 

15 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

11 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba) 

10 – Terry Bywater (Spain; Ilunion); Kyle Marsh (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Rebounds (GB Players)  

14 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

13 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba) 

10 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete) 

GB athletes return to competitive action this weekend with the Championship play-offs beginning in Germany, while league action continues in Spain as GB internationals remain at the centre of the race for top spot in the División de Honor.

In Germany, there will be British interest across both play-off semi-finals as the play-offs begin with the first games being played in the best-of-three semi-final series.

Simon Brown and Ian Sagar’s RSV Lahn-Dill take on Hannover United, while the other semi-final is likely to see a British head-to-head with Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls facing Baskets 96 Rahden, whose roster includes Peter Cusack, Thomas Smith and Jake Robinson.

All six of this weekend’s games in Spain’s División de Honor could feature GB athletes including a clash between Mideba Extremadura and BSR ACE Gran Canaria, which could see George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt (all Mideba) and James MacSorley (Gran Canaria) all take to the court.

Here’s the games to look out for across this weekend (all listed as UK times):

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php

Fundacion FDI Las Rozas v Servigest Burgos   (15:00 – Saturday 10 April)	Will Bonner Lee Fryer
Mideba Extremadura v BSR ACE Gran Canaria   (16:00 – Saturday 10 April)	George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba) James MacSorley (Gran Canaria)
Getafe BSR v Amivel (16:30 – Saturday 10 April)	Abdi Jama
Iberconsa Amfiv v Bidaideak Bilbao BSR (17:00 – Saturday 10 April)	Lewis Edwards Sam Mack
Fundacion Aliados v CD Ilunion (17:00 – Saturday 10 April)	Terry Bywater Gregg Warburton
BSR Amiab Albacete v Fundacion Vital Zuzenak (18:00 – Saturday 10 April)	Harry Brown Gaz Choudhry Ben Fox Lee Manning Kyle Marsh

Germany – https://www.rbbl.de/de/rbbl1/

Hannover United v RSV Lahn-Dill (17:00 – Saturday 10 April)	Simon Brown Ian Sagar
Baskets 96 Rahden v RSB Thuringia Bulls (17:00 – Saturday 10 April)	Peter Cusack (Rahden) Thomas Smith (Rahden) Jake Robinson (Rahden) Helen Freeman (Thuringia)

British Wheelchair Basketball has today announced a four-year partnership with Irwin Mitchell, which will see the nationwide firm of legal and financial advisors become BWB’s Official Supplier for Wealth Management.

Irwin Mitchell is one of the UK’s largest and most respected legal and wealth management firms, operating from 15 locations across the UK, providing legal and financial services to businesses and individuals.

This new four-year partnership, effective from 1 April 2021, will see Irwin Mitchell join a growing network of commercial partners working with the NGB. The legal and wealth management firm will specifically be supporting the sport to develop grassroots community initiatives and grow access and participation for the sport.

The agreement has been signed at an exciting time for wheelchair basketball in the UK with a period of unprecedented international success for the GB teams and participation and commercial growth domestically as BWB continue in its ambition to double participation and build continued international medal success.

Lisa Pearce, CEO of British Wheelchair Basketball, said:

“It is hugely exciting to welcome Irwin Mitchell as BWB’s Official Supplier of Wealth Management. As a sport we are about to enter one of our most progressive periods of change in our history, which will see British Wheelchair Basketball come ever closer to realising its ambitious five-year strategy goals.

“It is critical to our continued success that we are working with like-minded partners, who are driven to deliver change, committed to equality and support the important aspirations of our organisation, our athletes and participants. I have no doubt that the team at Irwin Mitchell are well placed to support this, and we are extremely proud to welcome them to wheelchair basketball family.”

David Sollitt, Chief Operating Officer at Irwin Mitchell Wealth Management, added:

“We have a proud history of supporting disability sports and recognise the positive impact that it can have on people’s lives.

“Many of our injured and vulnerable clients have used sports to help get their lives back on track and discover a new found independence, so we understand the value of enabling people to get involved at all levels from elite to grassroots.

“British Wheelchair Basketball has been hugely successful and we hope to play a part in building on that success and helping the organisation to achieve its ambitions for the future.”

For more information on Irwin Mitchell, visit https://www.irwinmitchell.com/

Martin Edwards continued his positive return to competitive action with 29 points and a double-double in Italy, while GB internationals continue to be at the centre of Spain’s Division de Honor title race.

After a delay to the start of the season in Italy alongside COVID-19 travel restrictions, Edwards only made his Special Bergamo Sport Montello debut last month, but his game-high points total of 29 points against Dinamo Lab Banco di Sardegna has taken his points tally to 76 across three games (25.33 average).

The 2018 World Champion recorded 14 rebounds and six assists as Bergamo won 69:71 in the first of the games to decide the 5^th to 8^th placings in Italy.

Last weekend saw the end of the regular season in Germany with Thomas Smith in action twice in two days for Baskets 96 Rahden. Smith scored 17 points to help Rahden claim an important 70:58 victory in the battle for third spot over Hannover United, before posting 13 points and a game-leading nine rebounds in a 62:56 win against BG Baskets Hamburg on Sunday.

Rahden will play Helen Freeman’s RSB Thuringia Bulls in the play-off semi-finals; Thuringia Bulls didn’t play last week after finishing their league campaign the previous weekend. Simon Brown’s and Ian Sagar’s RSV Lahn-Dill will take on Hannover United in the other semi-final.

Brown and Sagar ended the regular season with an 88:73 victory at home to BG Baskets Hamburg. Lahn-Dill had already secured top spot in the table with Brown scoring 12 points and Sagar four points to ensure they head into the end of season play-offs on a high.

In Spain, the battle for the top spot intensified over the weekend with GB athletes at the centre of the title race. Six GB internationals were in action as BSR ACE Gran Canaria beat BSR Amiab Albacete 76:75, thanks to their match-winning basket with just 15 seconds left on the clock.

James MacSorley scored six points for Gran Canaria as they moved one point above Albacete in the table, while, on the other side of the court, Gaz Choudhry scored 23 points for Albacete and posted a game-high 11 assists for his fifth consecutive double-double (also includes a triple-double).

Lee Manning scored 20 points and Kyle Marsh 11 points, with Harry Brown scoring two points and Ben Fox also in action for Albacete.

MacSorley’s Gran Canaria are now only one point behind league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR after Bilbao lost 66:63 to Servigest Burgos, who include Lee Fryer and Will Bonner.

Fryer scored 15 points – his six successive double-digit points haul – while Bonner collected 10 rebounds as Burgos claimed a memorable victory.

George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt’s Mideba Extremadura are three points behind Bilbao, but Mideba have played a game less than the three teams above them in the table. Mideba’s latest victory came against Iberconsa Amfiv on Saturday with Bates scoring nine points and Pratt eight points, along with 13 rebounds and five assists, in Mideba’s 50:69 triumph.

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack both featured for Amfiv, with Edwards scoring two points.

Most Points (GB Players)

29 – Martin Edwards (Italy; Bergamo)

23 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete)

20 – Lee Manning (Spain; Albacete)

Most Assists (GB Players)

11 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete)

6 – Martin Edwards (Italy; Bergamo); Kyle Marsh (Spain; Albacete)

5 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba)

Most Rebounds (GB Players)

14 – Martin Edwards (Italy; Bergamo)

13 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba)

10 – Will Bonner (Spain; Burgos)

There’s a reduced fixture list in Spain and Germany this weekend, but there are still seven games with British interest for those following the progress of the clubs featuring GB athletes this season.

The final weekend of the regular season in Germany includes a double header for the Baskets 96 Rahden trio of Thomas Smith, Peter Cusack and Jake Robinson, while Simon Brown and Ian Sagar end their league season on Saturday.

Both clubs have already qualified for the end of season play-offs, with Lahn-Dill securing top spot last weekend, but it’s still all to play for in terms of placings for Rahden. Their first game of the weekend against fourth-placed Hannover United could prove to be pivotal in deciding who plays who in the play-offs.

In Spain, there’s three games featuring clubs with GB internationals including two fixtures with British interest on both sides of the court – BSR ACE Gran Canaria v BSR Amiab Albacete and Iberconsa Amfiv v Mideba Extremadura.

Martin Edwards’ Special Bergamo Sport Montello are back in action in Italy in the first of the deciding games to assign the placings from fifth to eighth place.

Here’s the games to look out for across this weekend (all listed as UK times):

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php

BSR ACE Gran Canaria v BSR Amiab Albacete (12:30 – Saturday 27 March)	James MacSorley (Gran Canaria) Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete)
Iberconsa Amfiv v Mideba Extremadura   (17:00 – Saturday 27 March)	Lewis Edwards (Amfiv) Sam Mack (Amfiv) George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba)
Servigest Burgos v Bidaideak Bilbao BSR (17:00 – Saturday 27 March)	Will Bonner Lee Fryer

Germany – https://www.rbbl.de/de/rbbl1/

Baskets 96 Rahden v Hannover United (15:00 – Saturday 27 March)	Peter Cusack Thomas Smith Jake Robinson
RSV Lahn-Dill v BG Baskets Hamburg (18:30 – Saturday 27 March)	Simon Brown Ian Sagar
Baskets 96 Rahden v BG Baskets Hamburg (15:00 – Sunday 28 March)	Peter Cusack Thomas Smith Jake Robinson

Italy – https://www.federipic.it/

La Dinamo Lab Banco di Sardegna v Special Bergamo Sport Montello (14:00 – Saturday 27 March)

Martin Edwards

British Wheelchair Basketball has today published updated Return to Play Guidance which will enable the sport to restart its Return to Play plans from Monday 29^th March 2021. 

From this date, British Wheelchair Basketball will enter into STAGE 1 of the updated Return to Play Guidance (which can be viewed here), allowing BWB Sanctioned Activity to return outdoors for all participants (full court – up to 12 people; half-court – up to six people) in England and Scotland, and Under-18s only in Wales. 

In line with the Government exemptions (England only), disabled participants will be able to return to indoor training (full court – up to 12 people; half-court – up to six people) from the 29^th March 2021, and Under-18s (disabled or non-disabled) from 12^th April 2021 in England. 

These exemptions vary for each Home Country so please always refer to the latest guidance issued by your Home Government as any BWB sanctioned activity must adhere to restrictions (local and national) imposed by UK and Home Country Governments, and their guidance on social distancing and maximum capacities. 

The current British Wheelchair Basketball guidance for each Home Country is as follows:

England: From 29^th March 2021, England will enter STAGE 1 of BWB’s Return to Play Guidance, allowing BWB Sanctioned Activity to resume outdoors for all participants, and indoor activity for disabled participants from this date and Under-18s (disabled and non-disabled) from 12^th April 2021, in line with Government exemptions. 

Northern Ireland: BWB activity remains suspended in Northern Ireland, with the exception of British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Programme (Elite Sport Training) which will be delivered in accordance with government guidance. 

Scotland: From 29^th March 2021, Scotland will enter into STAGE 1 of BWB’s Return to Play Guidance, allowing BWB Sanctioned Activity to resume outdoors for all participants.  

Wales: Under-18s can resume outdoor activity from Monday 29^th March 2021, in line with British Wheelchair Basketball’s STAGE 1 Guidance. All other BWB Sanctioned Activity remains suspended in Wales, with the exception of British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Programme (Elite Sport Training) which will be delivered in accordance with government guidance. 

The key messages throughout STAGE 1 uphold the Government guidance and focus on mitigating risk regarding spread of infection, with maximum numbers for each session, no sharing of equipment, the wearing of masks, and 1m+ (on-court) and 2m (off-court) social distancing (and adhering to legal gathering limits – off court). 

As with last year, 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 that 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. 

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 

Staged Return Matrix: We have highlighted some elements of the staged return guidance within a 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 be released by British Wheelchair Basketball in due course and 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. 

Courses and Events  

British Wheelchair Basketball can also provide the following update on the return of courses and events: 

• Education Courses – will be re-introduced from Stage 2, no earlier than 17 May 2021 
• School Games – currently planned to go ahead 2-6 September 2021 (information will be communicated via Regional Associations and Home Country Partners in due course) 
• All other BWB Leagues and Competitions – will be reintroduced from the 2021-22 Season  

British Wheelchair Basketball will be hosting a webinar for clubs to learn more about the phased Return to Play guidance on Wednesday, 31st March at 7pm. Clubs can sign-up via the BWB App or https://bwb.playwaze.com/Book/182689-A

There’s also free COVID-19 Awareness Training available for coaches, team staff, COVID-19 Officers and club volunteers. The ReActivate training platform, which is funded by Sport England and CIMPSA accredited, provides you with the skills and knowledge for a return to activity. The training can be accessed here. 

Please remember that British Wheelchair Basketball and BWB’s 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. 

Gaz Choudhry topped the weekend’s points scoring charts in Spain while Simon Brown and Ian Sagar helped RSV Lahn-Dill secure their place at the top of RBBL1 in Germany. 

During another weekend where GB athletes played important roles for their clubs, Gaz Choudhry scored a weekend-high 33 points and posted game-high figures for both assists (nine) and rebounds (13) in BSR Amiab Albacete’s 77:49 win against Iberconsa Amfiv. 

The Paralympic bronze medallist was one of four British players in action for Albacete with GB internationals scoring 61 of their 77 points. Ben Fox contributed with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Kyle Marsh added nine points and Harry Brown four to Albacete’s total as they claimed their fifth successive win. 

Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack both lined-up against their four compatriots with Edwards and Mack scoring five and two points, respectively, for Amfiv. 

George Bates and Phil Pratt were both instrumental in Mideba Extremadura’s 73:61 victory over Servigest Burgos. Bates was the game’s top points scorer for the fourth successive week, scoring 27 points against Burgos, while Pratt secured his sixth double-double of the season. 

Pratt recorded 13 points and a weekend-high 17 assists, his eighth double-digit assist haul of the 2020/21 campaign. On the other side of the court, Lee Fryer scored 16 points and collected a team-high nine rebounds for Burgos during their defeat in Badajoz. 

Abdi Jama helped Amivel secure back-to-back wins, scoring 10 points in his side’s 54:65 triumph away at Fundacion FDI Las Rozas. There was also an away victory for James MacSorley, who scored four points in BSR ACE Gran Canaria’s 52:73 win at Fundacion Aliados. 

In Germany, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar helped RSV Lahn-Dill rise to the top of the table thanks to a 41:89 victory against ING Skywheelers.

Sagar ended the game with 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Brown scored eight points and recorded two assists to put Lahn-Dill into pole position heading into the end of season play-offs. 

Lahn-Dill are level on points with RSB Thuringia Bulls, but Brown and Sagar still have one more league game to play before the play-offs. Helen Freeman scored four points in Thuringia Bulls’ final league game last weekend, a 57:50 defeat at Hannover United, a team The Bulls could face in the play-off semi-finals. 

It was the final game of the season for Jim Palmer who scored two points in Rhine River Rhinos Wiesbaden’s 54:73 loss to BG Baskets Hamburg. With only the top-four teams qualifying through to the play-offs and Wiesbaden fifth in the table, Sunday’s game, unfortunately, brings an end to Palmer’s 2020/21 campaign.

Most Points (GB Players) 

33 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

27 – George Bates (Spain; Mideba) 

16 – Lee Fryer (Spain; Burgos) 

Most Assists (GB Players) 

17 – Phil Pratt (Spain; Mideba) 

9 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

6 – Kyle Marsh (Spain; Albacete) 

Most Rebounds (GB Players) 

13 – Gaz Choudhry (Spain; Albacete) 

11 – Ben Fox (Spain: Albacete) 

9 – Lee Fryer (Spain; Burgos); Ian Sagar (Germany; Lahn-Dill)