Bethan Fagan

At home in the National League Premier Division, Manchester Revolution (Martin Edwards, Tyler Baines) won 74:53 against visitors Jaguars. Martin Edwards had 23 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Tyler Baines had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists.

In Spain, Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) had a 64:60 victory in an exciting game against previously undefeated UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack). For Amivel Reyes Gutierrez, Abdi Jama had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Kyle Marsh had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 13 assists. For UCAM Murcia, Lee Fryer had 29 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Peter Cusack had 2 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.

CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) delivered a dominant performance against visitors Menarini Joventut, winning 83:33. Gregg Warburton had 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Terry Bywater had 9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards) won 64:74 on the road against Mideba Extremadura.

In Germany, Rhine River Rhinos (Jim Palmer) had a comprehensive 69:46 win over ING Skywheelers.

Spanish League: http://bsr.feddf.es/

German League: https://rollstuhlbasketball.de/

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

Italian League: https://www.federipic.it/

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

Photo credit: EPC2023

We’re thrilled to announce a partnership between Help for Heroes and British Wheelchair Basketball, set to ignite the spirit of sport and community across the UK.

After a successful summer series, we’re looking forward to a yearlong celebration of grassroots multisport events. Our goal is simple but powerful: to foster sport and activity engagement at both local and national levels, within a safe and inclusive environment for the Armed Forces Community.

These monumental events are designed to sow the seeds of growth in local sports and activities, offering opportunities for new participation and progressive competition alike.

British Wheelchair Basketball will collaborate with Help for Heroes, the leading Armed Forces and veterans’ charity in the UK, to engage 300 participants from the Armed Forces Community across the nation. This partnership aims to not only enhance sport but also facilitate networking, development, and support for clubs and coaching networks.

Over a 12 week period from 2^nd January 2024 until 31^st March 2024, Help for Heroes will be signposting veterans to club sessions, ideally these would be at normal training sessions to help integrate into the club. Each veteran will have 6 sessions for free across this time before deciding to commit to the club. This can either be weekly, fortnightly or sporadically. We ask that clubs are as flexible and welcoming as possible during this transition. Help for Heroes regional staff will support participants during this time and aim to build local partnerships with clubs.

The partnership will also see British Wheelchair Basketball, through Sport England investment into its Inspire a Generation Programme, commit grant funding to purchase new sports wheelchairs in a bid to provide more opportunities for people to play wheelchair basketball at the events. The funding for the 12 chairs has been secured through the Inspire a Generation programme.

Speaking about the partnership, Inspire a Generation Programme Manager Grant Wilson said:

“We are delighted to be working with Help for Heroes on this exciting project. Wheelchair basketball is a sport that absolutely anyone can enjoy, and our partnership with the Help for Heroes Community Games will create a bespoke competition that provides opportunities for people to experience its many benefits.

“Through the Series we will be able to encourage more people to try the sport, in the hope that they will then want to get involved in the Inspire a Generation programme or join one of our many fantastic clubs.”

Jodie Amor, Community Clubs Development Lead for Help for Heroes, added: 

“The support from British Wheelchair Basketball has been incredible. Without the Inspire a Generation programme many of our events such as our Community Sports Series wouldn’t be able to go ahead. 

“Leaving the Armed Forces can be a difficult time for many veterans and it’s important that they get the support they need during this transition. Sporting and social activities are vital in reducing social isolation as veterans lose the camaraderie and togetherness of military life.

“Our aim is to provide a welcoming environment and offer sporting opportunities to veterans. This partnership not only provides much needed equipment but will help us reduce barriers to veterans and their family members taking part in sport.

“This project aims to provide an aspirational pathway for those interested in both recreational and competitive sport and grow sport provision across the country. It will support us in our mission to provide a wide range of free sporting and physical activities right across the UK, where veterans and their families can access them most easily.”

Events will be staged locally, before progressing to regional events and culminating in a national sporting event. Participants will not only represent themselves, but also their local region in a bid to create a team ethos and fellowship that they can continue to develop in their regions after the events have concluded.

To find out more about the Community Games Series, head to https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-help/sports-social-activities/community-sports-series/?edit&language=en-gb

Image credit: BWB / SA Images

UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) remain undefeated after a thrilling game against Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley), narrowly taking the win 84:83. For UCAM Murcia, Lee Fryer had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Peter Cusack had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. For Bidaideak Bilbao, James MacSorley had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.

 Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) put up triple digits against Econy Gran Canaria with a 103:63 victory. Harry Brown had 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Simon Brown had 4 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Ben Fox had 29 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Lee Manning had 11 points, 7 rebounds. Phil Pratt had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 20 assists.

Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) won 66:83 on the road against Menarini Joventut. Abdi Jama had 10 points. Kyle Marsh had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 13 assists.

CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) took the win 31:77 against IMF Getafe. Gregg Warburton had 12 points, 1 rebound and 10 assists. Terry Bywater had 5 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

Servigest Burgos (Helen Freeman) had a 59:56 home game victory over visitors Mideba Extremadura. Helen Freeman had 2 assists.

In Italy, Briantea 84 Cantù (Sophie Carrigill) had a comfortable 82:21 win over Santa Lucia Sport. Sophie Carrigill had 2 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.

In Japan, Jack Perry and Tyler Baines were part of the GB Men U30 squad that claimed gold following a thrilling competition at the Kitakyushu Champions Cup 2023. Playing against Japan and Korea, the squad won all four of their playoff games and won the final 60:48 over Korea. Tyler Baines was named MVP of the tournament. Read more: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/2023/11/gb-claim-victory-at-the-kitakyushu-champions-cup-2023/

GB Men U30 have won the Kitakyushu Champions Cup 2023 after winning all five of their games in the competition.

The competition was an excellent development opportunity for players who have potential to play for the GB Men’s senior team. Three quarters of the squad who featured in the competition for GB were under the age of 22, highlighting the depth of talent currently in the pathway. Joey Johnson was Head Coach, with Mark Stevenson as Assistant Coach.

GB Men U30 played Korea and Japan twice in the playoff stages. On the opening day, GB won 63:59 over Korea and 63:42 against Japan. On Saturday, GB had a thrilling game against Korea where they narrowly took the win 65:64.

On the final day, GB Men U30 were victorious against hosts Japan in the final playoff game winning 66:38. In the final, GB claimed the win 60:48 over Korea. Tyler Baines was named MVP for the tournament.

The event also hosted a school programme with their games being played alongside the U30s schedule. The GB Men’s U30 team visited some of these schools as part of their competition experience with the aim of inspiring the next generation of players.

Safe travels home to the athletes and staff!

Vest # – Full Name – Classification

5 – Abderrahim Taghrest – 1.0

6 – Finley Tonner – 3.0

7 – Daniel McLaughlin – 1.5

9 – Tyler Baines – 3.5

10 – James Hazell – 2.0

11 – Jack Long – 3.5

13 – Alex Wilson – 3.0

14 – Nathan McCabe – 2.5

15 – Finlay Erskine – 4.0

16 – Elliot Hardman – 3.5

17 – Tom Harvey – 3.0

19 – Jack Perry – 4.5

Games can be viewed on catch up via the event’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9MYVB7vaYbpyNOE08tlWmA

Five clubs from the BWB National League will compete in the 2024 EuroCup competition. In EuroCup 1, London Titans will compete in Group A, and both Manchester Revolution and Sheffield Steelers will compete in Group B. In EuroCup 3, Plymouth Fusion will compete in Group C. Mohawks will compete in the 2025 EuroCup Qualification tournament.

Several GB Athletes representing their clubs from the Spanish, Italian and German leagues will compete in the competition. In EuroCup 2, Rhine River Rhinos (James Palmer) and Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards) will compete in Group A. UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) will compete in Group B.

In the Champions Cup, Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley) will compete in Group A, Briantea 84 Cantu (Sophie Carrigill) will compete in Group B and CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater) will compete in Group C. Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) will host the Quarter-finals. Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) will compete in the 2025 EuroCup Qualification tournament.

Last year, Amiab Albacete won the 2023 EuroCup Champions Cup after a tough competition, winning 77:73 and claiming the title for the second time in a row.

Key dates:

Champions Cup and Eurocup 1 Group Stages: Thursday 1st – Sunday 4th February 2024

Eurocup 2 & 3 Group Stages and Champions Cup Quarter Finals: Thursday 7th – Sunday 10th March 2024

Eurocup Finals: Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th April 2024

Champions Cup Final 4: Thursday 2nd – Sunday 5th May 2024

All information can be found on the IWBF Europe website: https://www.iwbf-europe.org/

Best of luck and safe travels to everyone involved in the competition!

In Spain, a Friday night clash saw the top two teams in the BSR meet in Madrid as Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown, Simon Brown, Ben Fox, Lee Manning, Charlotte Moore, Phil Pratt) claimed the win 62:83 against hosts CD Ilunion (Gregg Warburton, Terry Bywater). For Amiab Albacete, Harry Brown had 1 point and 1 rebound. Simon Brown had 6 points and 1 assist. Ben Fox had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Lee Manning had 1 point. Phil Pratt had 8 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists. For CD Ilunion, Gregg Warburton had 2 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists. Terry Bywater had 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

UCAM Murcia (Lee Fryer, Peter Cusack) maintain their winning streak with a 59:78 victory over Mideba Extremadura. Lee Fryer had 24 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Peter Cusack had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Amivel Reyes Gutierrez (Abdi Jama, Kyle Marsh) delivered a comprehensive 75:49 result against visitors IMF Getafe. Abdi Jama had 10 points and 1 rebound. Kyle Marsh had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 11 assists.

Bidaideak Bilbao (James MacSorley) won 82:52 at home versus Menarini Joventut. James MacSorley had 8 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.

In a tight game, Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards) narrowly took the win 76:73 over Servigest Burgos (Helen Freeman). For Iberconsa Amfiv, Lewis Edwards had 9 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. For Servigest Burgos, Helen Freeman had 1 assist.

In Germany, Rhine River Rhinos (Jim Palmer) were defeated 64:55 by Thuringia Bulls. Jim Palmer had 2 rebounds.

At home in the BWB National League Premier Division, Jaguars took the win 76:68 over Manchester Revolution (Martin Edwards, Tyler Baines). Martin Edwards had 41 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists. Tyler Baines had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Elsewhere, the players selected to represent GB in the Kitakyushu Champions Cup, a Men’s U30s competition in Japan, have been announced. Find out more: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/2023/11/squad-announcement-for-kitakyushu-champions-cup-2023/

Spanish League: http://bsr.feddf.es/

German League: https://rollstuhlbasketball.de/

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

Italian League: https://www.federipic.it/

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

Image credit: BWB / Ahmedphotos

Photo credit: Sarah Hope

British Wheelchair Basketball are proud to announce the players selected to compete in the upcoming Kitakyushu Champions Cup.

The Kitakyushu Champions Cup is a U30s competition hosted in Japan. This will be the 20^th edition of this competition, which is aimed to provide high-level competition for athletes aspiring to represent their country on the elite stage. GB will compete against Japan and Korea.

The named GB U30s team highlights the quality and depth across the pathway, with three quarters of the squad under the age of 22. This competition is an exciting and important development opportunity for players who have potential to play for the GB Men’s senior team.

Joey Johnson will lead the team as Head Coach, with Mark Stevenson providing key support as Assistant Coach. Joey Johnson is one half of the current GB Men coaching team alongside Bill Johnson, having coached the team to Gold at the 2023 European Championships and Silver at the 2022 IWBF World Championships (held in 2023). Mark Stevenson coached Scottish Wizards to claim the Junior League trophy last season and has gained valuable experience from his time developing the Scotland national teams.  

The players representing GB U30 at the Kitakyushu Champions Cup 2023 are:

Vest # – Full Name – Classification

5 – Abderrahim Taghrest – 1.0

6 – Finley Tonner – 3.0

7 – Daniel McLaughlin – 1.5

9 – Tyler Baines – 3.5

10 – James Hazell – 2.0

11 – Jack Long – 3.5

13 – Alex Wilson – 3.0

14 – Nathan McCabe – 2.5

15 – Finlay Erskine – 4.0

16 – Elliot Hardman – 3.5

17 – Tom Harvey – 3.0

19 – Jack Perry – 4.5

Games get started on Friday 10^th November through to Sunday 12^th November. All games will be streamed via the event’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9MYVB7vaYbpyNOE08tlWmA

Photo credit: Sarah Hope

Women’s League returns this weekend as Round 1 takes place in Worcester 4^th/5^th November.

New this year is Emerald Rollers, a guest team entry from Republic of Ireland. Following last season’s result, Mohawks 1 were promoted to Division 1 and have entered a second team. The increase in teams entering Division 2 is a positive sign of growth as the league continues to build, leading to Division 2 being split into Pool A and Pool B this year.

Round 1 is being hosted at the University of Worcester Arena, with all three courts in action across two full days of wheelchair basketball fixtures. The next stages of the competition take place across the following weekends:

Round 2 – 3/4th February 2024 – Loughborough University

Round 3 – 2/3rd March 2024 – Cardiff Met University

Competing in Women’s League 2023/24 season are the following teams:

Division 1:

London Titans 1, Mohawks 1, Cardiff Met Archers 1, Sheffield Steelers 1, Wakefield Whirlwinds 1, Leicester Cobras 1

Division 2 – Pool A:

Wakefield Whirlwinds 2, Sparrows 1, Swansea Storm 1, Emerald Rollers 1, Bath Romans 1

Division 2 – Pool B:

Mohawks 2, Northern Ireland Academy 1, Eastern Blue Stars 1, The Bears 1

Best of luck to all the teams taking part, and a huge shout-out goes to the Officials and volunteers who make the sport happen!

Fixtures / Results: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/competition/womens-league-2023-24/