Bethan Fagan

The countries that the GB Men will face at the U23 European Championships later this month have been confirmed. Seven teams – Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, and Türkiye – will compete for one of the five zonal spots in the 2025 U23 World Championships.

All teams will play each other once in a round robin. This will determine the semi-finals and the 5th-7^th place play-off.

24^th – 27^th June: Group stage
28^th June: Semi-finals and 5th – 7^th Play-off
29^th June: Finals and 5th – 7^th Play-off

More information on the competition will be available via the IWBF Europe website, including streaming: https://iwbf.org/event/2024-mens-u23-european-championships/

Read more about the U23 GB Men’s squad and coaching staff via our team announcement piece earlier this year: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/2024/05/gb-mens-team-announced-for-the-iwbf-u23-european-championships/

We’ll be covering the action on our social media channels throughout the competition, and are wishing the team the very best when they head to Madrid!

Photo: BWB / Ahmedphotos

British Wheelchair Basketball membership is now available to purchase through the online portal linked below. A BWB membership allows you to compete in all British Wheelchair Basketball competitions and leagues, including National League, Women’s Premier League, Junior League, and Women’s League.

Current 2023/24 BWB Individual Membership will expire on 31st August 2024, and membership for the 2024/25 season will become active on 1st September 2024.

Adult Membership (£30) and Junior Membership (£15) is required for anyone wishing to participate in any National and Local Leagues and Competitions as a player, coach, official, welfare officer, classifier, team staff, or if you have a role at a club. These memberships offer enhanced personal accident insurance and a variety of other exclusive benefits from our partners.

Junior participants looking to be involved in the 2024 Junior Championship Finals and 2024 School Games Finals in August are required to have a BWB membership.

All clubs have been notified by email about membership requirements and team registration deadlines.

For any further questions or issues, please contact membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk

Individual membership 2024/25: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/membership/

Club Affiliation and Team Entry 2024/25: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/2024-25-club-affiliation-team-entry/

British Wheelchair Basketball has begun an extensive review into our coaching system, evaluating the current structure and developing a plan of actions to improve and grow opportunities across the country for new and existing wheelchair basketball coaches.

In April this year, an initial workshop was held over two days to gather feedback from an initial group of individuals across the community, hearing from members operating across the sport – within clubs, performance pathways, and at grassroots level.

Jenny Buckham-Hedges, Workforce Manager at British Wheelchair Basketball, commented:

“We recognise that it is only through the passion, dedication, and expertise of wheelchair basketball coaches that the sport will continue to grow and offer valuable opportunities for players from a community level through to the GB Pathway.

“If we are to produce great coaches who provide great experiences for participants, we need a coaching system that enables coaches to feel supported, connected, and confident that they have the right skills to make an impact through their coaching.

“The time we spent in the April workshop was only a starting point, and we would like to hear from a much wider group of players, coaches, coach developers and other members around what they believe is critical if we are to develop a Coaching System across the sport that makes coaches feel valued and recognised, and ensures they feel supported to provide their players with the best possible experience.”

The review will continue to build momentum over the coming months through direct engagement with the community. If you’re a wheelchair basketball coach who would like to be involved in the review, email Jenny on j.buckhamhedges@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk

Photos: BWB / Ahmedphotos 

After an action-packed weekend in Essex, the champions of the BWB 2023-24 season were crowned.  

The weekend featured six finals across two busy days of wheelchair basketball at the Essex Sports Arena.  

All 19 games were streamed live onto the BWB YouTube channel and remain on the channel so you can rewatch your favourite moments.   

Stream here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvPCE6zJniLETSC1e6Fg_2azUyepoZE7u

Junior League 
Back in April, Mohawks and Lothian Phoenix secured their place in the Junior League Final after stellar performances in the Elite 8s competition. The two teams battled it out on court on Saturday evening, with Mohawks securing the win 38:59. 

MVP: Bradley Thompson 27 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists

Women’s Premier League 
In the Women’s Premier League finals, Worcester Wolves claimed 3^rd after a dramatic game against Cardiff Met Archers, winning 51:57. 

In the final, Loughborough Lightning and East London Phoenix faced off in a repeat of last year’s final. Loughborough Lightning claimed a dominant 73:44 victory to secure the WPL champion’s trophy after a season undefeated.  

MVP: Bo Kramer 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists

Division 3 
In the Division 3 semi-finals, CWBA against Sheffield Steelers. Cardiff Met Archers vs Southport. 

Making their way into the 3^rd/4^th place playoff, Sheffield Steelers took the win 47:55 against Cardiff Met Archers. In the final, Southport claimed their title as the 2023-24 Division 3 Champions after a 42:46 win against CWBA. 

MVP: Ryan Smart 21 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists

Division 2 
The Division 2 semi-finals saw Lothian Phoenix vs Exeter Otters and London Titans vs North Wales Knights.  

Exeter Otters secured the win in the 3^rd/4^th place playoff with a 44:49 win over London Titans. In the final, Lothian Phoenix rounded out their season as 2023-24 Division 2 Champions after a close 48:46 win against North Wales Knights.  

MVP: Shayne Humphries 8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Division 1 
In Saturday’s semi-finals, Reading Rockets vs Lothian Phoenix and Sheffield Steelers vs Aces. 

In the 3^rd / 4^th place playoff, Sheffield Steelers won 50:64 to claim 3^rd place. Reading Rockets finished their season on a high, taking the win 77:52 against Lothian Phoenix.   

MVP: Lewis Edwards 26 points, 7 rebounds, 15 assists

Premier Division 
The Premier Division semi-finals once again saw Manchester Revolution face Sheffield Steelers, with Sheffield Steelers securing their place in the final with a 00:00 win. London Titans vs Jaguars 00:00.  

In Sunday’s 3^rd/4^th place playoff, Manchester Revolution secured their 3^rd place spot with a 99:60 win against Jaguars. 

To end the weekend, we were treated to a thrilling finale between London Titan and Sheffield Steelers, with London Titans being crowned 2023-24 Premier Division Champions after a 78:66 victory.  

MVP: Beth Wheeler 18 points, 3 assists

We would like to thank everyone who made this year’s National Championship Finals such a success, including players, team staff, event staff, and supporters.  

We’re proud to announce the GB Men’s team to compete in the IWBF U23 European Championships this summer.

The IWBF U23 European Championships is taking place in Madrid, Spain, and serves as a qualification tournament for the 2025 Men’s U23 World Championship. The competition gets started mid-June. More information on the competition will be available in the coming weeks via the IWBF Europe website: https://iwbf.org/event/2024-mens-u23-european-championships/

Name, classification, and club
Ollie Porter – 1.0 – Mohawks
Abderrahim Taghrest – 1.0 – Sheffield Steelers
Alex Wilson – 2.5 – Sheffield Steelers
Henley Cavanagh – 2.5 – Manchester Revolution
Tom Harvey – 3.0 – Sheffield Steelers
Charlie McIntyre – 3.0 – Dinamo Sassari
Oscar Knight – 3.5 – Iberconsa Amfiv
Jack Long – 3.5 – CWBA
Joel Clifton – 3.5 – Plymouth Fusion
Liam Barker – 3.5 – Reading Rockets
George Gray – 4.0 – Jaguars WBC
Finlay Erskine – 4.0 – Lothian Phoenix

Ade Orogbemi, who achieved two Paralympic Bronze medals as a player with the Men’s senior squad (Beijing 2008, Rio 2016), leads the team as Head Coach. Mark Stevenson and retired Paralympian Joe Bestwick (Beijing 2008 for GB) complete the line-up as Assistant Coaches, offering experience and mentorship to the team.

We’ll be covering the action on our social media channels and following the U23 GB Men as they progress through the competition. We can’t wait to support the team, and a huge congratulations to the athletes on their selection!

Image: BWB / SA Images

In Spain,  Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) won 72:66 against UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack). For Albacete, Harry Brown had 4 points and 1 rebound. Simon Brown had 3 rebounds. Ben Fox had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Lee Manning had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Phil Pratt had 4 points, 5 rebounds and 18 assists. For Murcia, Lee Fryer had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Peter Cusack had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) had a 61:49 victory at home against Mideba Extremadura. Kyle Marsh had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Abdi Jama had 16 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.

CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) delivered a comprehensive performance at home to win 93:51 against visitors Iberconsa Amfiv. For Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 8 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists. Terry Bywater had 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley) had a 45:70 victory on the road against Fundacion Aliados. James MacSorley had 2 points.

Servigest Burgos (Helen Freeman) were defeated 90:43 by hosts Econy Gran Canaria. Helen Freeman had 6 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists.

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Spanish League: http://bsr.feddf.es/ 

German League: https://rollstuhlbasketball.de/ergebnisse/ 

University of Alabama (USA): https://bamaadapted.com/sports/wbball?path=wbball 

 BWB National League: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/national-league/ 

BWB Women’s Premier League: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/womens-premier-league-2023-24-2/ 

Italy: https://www.federipic.it/ 

The long awaited EuroCup Champions Cup Final 4 took place this past weekend! In the semi-finals, Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) won 81:56 over CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater)

For Albacete, Ben Fox had 6 points and 3 rebounds. Lee Manning had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 1 assist. Phil Pratt had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 19 assists. For Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 15 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists. Terry Bywater had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists.

In the 3^rd/4^th playoff, CD Ilunion were defeated 89:65 by German side RSV Lahn-Dill. For Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 6 points and 6 assists. Terry Bywater had 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.

In the final, Amiab Albacete retained their title for the third time in a row by defeating RSB Thuringia Bulls 70:64 in a thrilling final. For Albacete, Ben Fox had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Lee Manning 19 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist. Charlotte Moore had 4 points. Phil Pratt had 7 points, 9 rebounds and 19 assists.

Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt and Greg Warburton were named in the All-star Five for the tournament for their outstanding performances.

At home in the final National League Premier Division game of the season, London Titans (Jack Perry, Jude Hamer, Gaz Choudhry) won 32:72 against hosts Plymouth Fusion. Jack Perry had 16 points.

In the BWB Women’s Premier League, Loughborough Lightning (Siobhán Fitzpatrick, Robyn Love, Laurie Williams, Lucy Robinson, Maddie Martin, Anastasia Blease) had a dominant 90:30 victory over Cardiff Met Archers (Jade Atkin). For Loughborough Lightning, Siobhán Fitzpatrick had 4 points and 3 rebounds. Robyn Love had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists. Laurie Williams had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. Lucy Robinson had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Maddie Martin had 2 rebounds. Anastasia Blease had 12 points and 1 rebound. For Cardiff Met Archers, Jade Atkin had 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Image: BWB / SA Images