Dani Williams

All eyes have been keenly focused on the GB men’s training and selection camps over the last few weeks, as Haj Bhania and Steve Caine, GB Men’s Team Coaches, prepared to announce the squad for the forthcoming European Championships in Poland (30 August to 8 September).

Fans of the squad may well have spotted the inclusion of some new and returning players on the teams’ social media posts from these camps.

GB’s number 11 Phil Pratt will once again Captain the squad as they focus on the European Championships and qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Five-time Paralympian, Terry Bywater will notch up his tenth European Championships appearance in Poland.

He is joined by fellow legends of the GB line-up including Liverpool’s Abdi Jama (3 x Paralympics/6 x Europeans), World Championships superstar Simon Brown (2 x Paralympics/4 x Europeans) and Ealing’s Gaz Choudhry (2 x Paralympics/4 x Europeans).

Included in the squad line up are the World Championship power forwards George Bates and Lee Manning, MVP Gregg Warburton, and starting five regular Harry Brown.

Welcomed back to the GB line up is Barnsley man and two time Paralympian Ian Sagar, the 3.0 player having taken some time away from the team following the Rio Paralympics dramatic Bronze medal win.  During his break from the team Sagar, who played for Italian side Braintea84, took time to write a biography about his wheelchair basketball journey.

Making his international senior team debut is junior World Champion, Ben Fox. The Swindon player has made an impressive recovery after taking time out of the programme in 2018 for major surgery – demonstrating the remarkable grit of this young player and an impressive return to form.

Completing the squad is 2.0 player and Rio Paralympian Kyle Marsh.

Commenting on his squad selection and looking towards the August European Championships, GB Head Coach Haj Bhania OBE commented:

“As a team we are in a very good place. The last year has been incredible for the GB team and demonstrated what we are capable of, however by no means has it allowed us to sit still. We are only as good as our next game, and as a squad we fundamentally understand this.

“This team has been relentless in their determination to push forwards and improve as individuals but also as a team. In Hamburg we laid bare that Championships are won by the team, not just one player.”

TEAM LIST:

Vest	Name	Classification
4	Gaz Choudhry	4.0
5	Simon Brown	2.0
6	Kyle Marsh	2.0
7	Terry Bywater	4.5
8	George Bates	4.5
9	Harry Brown	2.5
10	Abdi Jama	1.0
11	Phil Pratt	3.0
12	Gregg Warburton	2.0
13	Ian Sagar	3.0
14	Lee Manning	4.5
15	Ben Fox	3.5

SCHEDULE:

Date	Time (BST)	Fixture
31 August	18:00	ITA v GBR
1 September	15:15	GBR v SUI
2 September	13:30	AUT v GBR
3 September	13:00	GBR v POL
4 September	13:30	GBR v GER

For media enquiries, please contact British Wheelchair Basketball:

Email: l.pilling@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk

Tel: 01509 279900

British Wheelchair Basketball Announces new 2019/20 Membership, Club and Competition Fee Structure

Today British Wheelchair Basketball made public its new pricing structure for domestic competition and leagues, as well as membership and club affiliation.

The fees, which will be in place for the 2019/20 season, will be the first price review implemented by the National Governing Body for a number of years.

In communications circulated to the sports members and clubs British Wheelchair Basketball has outlined the financial need for this review and its aim to ensure that the domestic game continues to thrive in both the long and short term. 

Under the current membership pricing model, which has not been reviewed for almost a decade, British Wheelchair Basketball’s leagues and competitions are consistently running at a significant loss. This annual loss runs into the tens and tens of thousands each year, with the membership income covering just a fraction (less than 35%) of the overall running cost.

As a result the Board needed to review the membership, club affiliation and team entry costs. Please know that even with the price increases for the 2019/20 BWB will still be subsiding the overall running costs by more than 55%.

The new fees will see more clubs and members able to access more tangible membership benefits including commercial discounts and playing insurance. The structure overhauls the existing complicated, and often difficult to interpret, pricing matrix to create a flat single membership fee for Junior and Seniors (also a finding of the League Review), single club affiliation fee and new team competition entry costs.

A full pricing structure is available via the BWB Website (Link)

British Wheelchair Basketball opens recruitment to appoint three new Independent Directors to join its Board.

Following the NGB’s March unveiling of its ambitious 5 year strategic plan which promises to deliver a far-reaching fundamental transformation of the sport and its wider public perception as a professional sport; the Board has identified three new Independent Director roles which it believes will further support British Wheelchair Basketball goal to realise its strategic objectives. 

The roles will bring to the Board valuable expertise from the Elite Sports Performance, Commercial and Sponsorship, Communications and Digital, and HR and People Development sectors.

Recently appointed Chair, Professor Philip Wilson

“It is vital that we recruit experienced professionals that can bring to the sport relevant expertise from within their specialist skills area. As a Board it is crucial that we are able to draw from our board members’ knowledge base and apply it directly to delivering our role in shaping British Wheelchair Basketball’s strategic direction.

“We are very reliant on the exceptional knowledge and wider sector experience that our Independent Directors bring to the organisation. They challenge, they are insightful and they enable.

“We are incredibly grateful for the valuable time they dedicate to our sport, but I am without doubt that our Board Members are rewarded with seeing the sports current and future successes.”

Applications close on Sunday 2 June 2018

Lord’s Taverners Junior League finalists announced following a closely fought Elite 8’s competition.

Congratulations to North Wales Knights and Lancaster Spinners, who will both progress to the Lord’s Taverners Finals on Saturday 25 May to compete for the 2019 title.

The 2019 Elite 8’s competition took place on Saturday 27^th April and saw eight junior teams head to Sheffield for a day of back-to-back competition. The competition delivered a brilliant day of wheelchair basketball, underpinned by the exceptional standard of play, incredible atmosphere and superb display of sportsmanship from all teams.

Elite 8’s was a clear demonstration of the talent that is progressing through the junior pathway ensuring a strong future for the sport.

Final placings for the 2019 Lord’s Taverners Elite 8s were:

3. Wakefield Whirlwinds

4. Thames Valley Kings

5. South West Warriors

6. CWBA

7. Jaguars

8. Northern Ireland

The Lord’s Taverners Junior League Finals will be live streamed via BBC Sport Online on Saturday 25 May 2019.

British Wheelchair Basketball announces Roma Sport as its new Official Supplier of its Participation Wheelchair.

Today’s exciting announcement marks British Wheelchair Basketball’s first partnership with a wheelchair manufacturer delivering a product specifically developed for its participation audience including its domestic competitive and recreational players.

The five-year sponsorship agreement will see Roma Sport and British Wheelchair Basketball bring to market its newly developed affordable participation wheelchair. The British Wheelchair Basketball branded chair will retail at a price point of £729 per unit, it will be available in three sizes supplied in a choice of three colour options red (small), blue (medium) and grey (large). 

The Roma Sport chair was selected following extensive testing by British Wheelchair Basketball’s junior athletes. The athletes and Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DISE) students were heavily involved in the participation wheelchair partner process feeding back on points including price, colour and product specification.

Delighted to launch the new sports chair Jo Richards, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Participation Director, commented:

“We are incredibly proud and excited to bring this chair to market with our new partners Roma Sport. This chair will enable more people to access our sport at a grass roots level. We have worked extensively with Roma Sport to develop a robust chair which can be retailed at an affordable price and is a perfect starter chair for anyone looking to get into wheelchair basketball.

“This chair has been tested and selected by our athletes for our athletes. It was crucial that we took on board their views and insight and incorporate what they feel is important in the chairs they use.”

Simon Dalton, Managing Director of Roma Sport is equally pleased with today’s announcement. Looking forward to a flourishing relationship with British Wheelchair Basketball, Simon added:

“Our hope is that the British Wheelchair Basketball Sports Chair will revolutionise the sport and support more people to access the game. The chair’s price point makes it an affordable option for clubs to adopt as their club chairs.

“It has been a pleasure working directly with British Wheelchair Basketball’s junior players, hearing their honest and open feedback on the product and supporting the development of this new chair.

“Wheelchair basketball in the UK has a phenomenal future and we are committed to working with the BWB to support as many people as possible to experience this exhilarating sport.”

To find out more visit https://romasport.co.uk/product/basketball-club-wheelchair/

An incredible opportunity to watch the British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s League First Division final and third place games live in Nottingham. The weekend will mark the first time the finals have been hosted at the Wildcat Arena.

Both games will see the elite of women’s wheelchair basketball take to court to decide who will be the 2019 Women’s League Champions. Each of the four squads boast impressive line-ups with the rosters packed with big names of the sport. Current GB World Championship silver medallists and Paralympians feature on both teams. 

For spectators new to the sport and Women’s League – these games promise to be action packed. The sport is fast paced and furious. An incredible women’s team sport and a sporting spectacle for the entire family to enjoy. 

Saturday 20th April 2019:

4pm – First Division // Third Place Game

6:30pm – First Division // Final Game 

Please note: These games will be streamed live via BBC Sport Online and therefore cameras will be present at the venue. 

Broadcast: Live from 3:45pm

Tip-off: 4pm