Lesley Pilling

Further to today’s government announcement, all BWB sanctioned activity will be suspended in Tier 4 (England) and Wales effective from midnight tonight (Saturday 19^th December). All BWB sanctioned activity remains in suspension in Northern Ireland.

Please note that BWB is carefully monitoring the evolving situation with regards to COVID-19 Guidance across the UK, and will update our membership regarding our guidance and suspensions as and when we are able to do so.

Our first priority, as it has always been throughout this pandemic, is to place the safety and wellbeing of our membership first. 

20.12.20: Further Update – All BWB Sanctioned will be suspended in Scotland from midnight 25 December.

FULL COVID-19 GUIDANCE

British Wheelchair Basketball has launched a new workforce ReActivate Training platform to support coaches, team staff, volunteers and COVID-19 Officers with wheelchair basketball’s return to activity.

ReActivate is a COVID-Awareness training platform which has been funded by Sport England, Commissioned by CIMSPA and brought to you by Future Active Workforce.

The training is designed to give our workforce the knowledge and confidence to return to sport and physical activity, and get back to providing a valuable service to their clubs and communities. It will deliver CIMSPA accredited COVID-19 awareness training (3 CPD points) filled with content to support the return to their roles over the coming weeks.

Easily accessible via PC, laptop, tablet or mobile, the platform is loaded with content which will focus on COVID-19 and the best practices that should be used in workforce roles. Please watch/read all of the available resources in the modules available and complete some knowledge checks to gain a certificate.

What happens next?

The platform uses a self-sign up process. Please click on the link below for the relevant country, then fill in your details to sign up.

England – Workforce and Facility Management (for Coaches, Team Staff, Volunteers, COVID-19 Officers and those who manage a facility)

https://prozone.futurefit.co.uk/british-wheelchair-basketball/plans/1010

Northern Ireland – Workforce and Facility Management (for Coaches, Team Staff, Volunteers, COVID-19 Officers and those who manage a facility)

https://prozone.futurefit.co.uk/british-wheelchair-basketball/plans/1133

Scotland – Workforce and Facility Management (for Coaches, Team Staff, Volunteers, COVID-19 Officers and those who manage a facility)

https://prozone.futurefit.co.uk/british-wheelchair-basketball/plans/1132

Wales – Workforce and Facility Management (for Coaches, Team Staff, Volunteers, COVID-19 Officers and those who manage a facility)

https://prozone.futurefit.co.uk/british-wheelchair-basketball/plans/1128

Upon log in the user will be asked to complete some personal details and once this is done they will be directed to their main dashboard – this is an overview of the training that is available and how many resources you have watched and have left to watch. 

To access the ReActivate training content: Navigate to the library (button along the main top bar) and then select ‘Team ReActivate’, in here there will be multiple subcategories and within each is a range of content that will need to be watched/read before completing the knowledge check exam in each subcategory.

Once all resources have been viewed, and the knowledge checks completed, users can then download their COVID-19 Certificate.

British Wheelchair Basketball today launched its search for a new Chair to drive and cultivate the organisation’s ambitious strategic vision through Tokyo, Paris and beyond.

A full recruitment pack is available and the application closing date is Sunday 31 May 2020.

The GB Men’s team dominated the 2019 European Championships delivering a spotless undefeated record and the tournament title this weekend.

Europe, considered one of the strongest zones for wheelchair basketball, looked to deliver a punishing European Championships tournament for the GB Men’s team as they faced France in the Quarter Final, Turkey in the Semis and Spain in the Final.

The GB Men have history with these three teams, with each of the opposing nations stopping to GB’s title bids at critical tournaments in the last decade. Turkey notably stopped GB claiming its fourth consecutive European Title in a dramatically close final in 2017 (69-76); Spain quashed GB’s gold medal chances at Rio 2016 after they won the place in the final by just 6pts (63-69) and France delivered a heart-breaking defeat to GB in the Quarter Finals of the Worlds in 2010.

However, Haj Bhania’s GB Squad were never in doubt of their status as current World Champions and delivered a blistering pool stage with five successive strong wins against Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Germany.

It was the crossover games where the depth of the GB squad shone through with the experience and power of the team’s players being clearly laid down on court. The team’s single-minded ambition to reclaim their European title very clear for all to see.

The team swiftly disposed of the French during the quarter final dominating the game from the outset hitting half-time with an impressive 30pt lead. GB’s ability to draw points from across its squad saw a mix of newer and more experienced members add to the tally with Warburton, Bates, Bywater and Sagar contributing to the scoreboard.

GB met current European Champions Turkey in the Semi-Final. The closest game of the championships for GB who trailed for the first two quarters with a half time score 45-43. A relentless Terry Bywater left the Turkish team reeling after a scorching attack in the second half and efficiently closing-down the game 94-81, contributing an individual 34pts.

Reminiscent of the World Championships Final the GB v Spain game starting five opened with GB’s Manning, Warburton, Brown, Brown and Pratt line-up. The full squad contributed to the final score with Coach Haj Bhania running the full bench during the title game.

The win marked GB’s Seventh European Championship title win, the greatest points difference title win in the tournament’s history, and GB take the top of the tournament’s medal ranking table with a total of 7 golds, 5 silvers and 4 bronze medals.

Speaking after the game, GB Captain Phil Pratt commented:

“We’re really proud to win the European Championships – it has been a long and tough summer with the squad and I am so proud of this team.

“Going into Tokyo we are now one of the favourites which will be a new experience for us. We have always been the ones chasing the Spanish or chasing the Americans.”

GB’s Harry Brown also added:

“It’s a great feeling to get the European Championships trophy back and become Champions again. To have the whole team put a performance in was just amazing. The whole staff and team stuck together throughout the tournament and it’s been the best feeling ever.

“Looking forward to Tokyo – this is a great steppingstone – we’re World Champions, we’re European Champions, we’ve just got one more step now.”

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

RESULTS:

Date	Result	Fixture
31 August	54-76	ITA v GBR
1 September	90-35	GBR v SUI
2 September	39-95	AUT v GBR
3 September	83-61	GBR v POL
4 September	75-58	GBR v GER
6 September	93-51	GBR v FRA (QF)
7 September	81-94	TUR v GBR (SF)
8 September	77-52	GBR v ESP (F)

There was no doubt that the GB Men’s team headed to Poland with two clear goals – qualification for Tokyo and to reclaim their European Championship title.

GB came face-to-face with a strong Spanish side to decide the European Championship winner. A highly anticipated game with both teams progressing to the final so-far undefeated in the tournament.

Today’s game was the first time that GB and Spain have met at a European Championship final since 1995, where GB took the win by just 2pts.

GB took an early lead in the game, with Spain struggling to put points on the board until nearly six minutes into the first quarter. GB Head Coach Haj Bhania opened the game replicating the World Championships final starting five of Manning, Warburton, Brown, Brown and Pratt.

A decisive GB went into half time with a healthy 14pt lead, they closed the game 77-52 with the full squad taking to court during the final.  

Full live stats from today’s final: https://www.fibalivestats.com/u/IWBF/1344608/

Watch the action again: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/watch/

Today’s title win marks GB’s seventh European Championship Gold Medal.

Incredible scenes played out in Poland this afternoon as two great wheelchair basketball nations, Turkey and GB, came face to face for the semi-finals of the 2019 European Championships.

The two teams have a long history at the European Championships having faced each other at the tournament’s final in 2013, 2015 and 2017. GB claiming victory on two out of three occasions; however Turkey dramatically took the title for the first time in 2017.

The semi-final proved to be a world class display of wheelchair basketball with the Turkish side taking a narrow 2pt lead into half-time. However a determined GB squad took to court to battle the second half.  The GB men efficiently took the third quarter with an 11pt lead. Ultimately Turkey could not answer the outstanding shooting power of GB’s Terry Bywater – who brought home an impressive 34pt tally for the game.

The dominant GB squad will see Spain in tomorrow’s European Championship final at 4pm (BST).

South West & Midlands (U14) crowned Lord’s Taverners Junior Championships following a dramatic weekend of wheelchair basketball at University of Worcester Arena.

This weekend saw 17 teams head to Worcester for the annual Lord’s Taverners two day Junior Championships. Six teams competed in the U14 category and 11 teams bid for glory in the U18 competition.

A phenomenal weekend of wheelchair basketball played out with many point for point games being laid down on court. Notable games included the U18 South West v South East Semi Final which was decided in overtime and the U18 final which was too close to call right to the final whistle (22-19).

A thoroughly enjoyable tournament that welcomed players and fans new to the Championships as well as saying a fond farewell to a number of players who were competing for the final time.

Joining the crowds in Worcester was GB’s Siobhan Fitzpatrick and Gregg Warburton. Both players are huge supporters of the Championships having carved out the own playing careers playing in both the Lord’s Taverners Junior League and Championships prior to becoming elite athletes.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s Participation Director, Jo Richards commented on the Championships:

“The Lord’s Taverners Junior Championships is crucial to the development of our young players. They are playing side by side with the top players, coaching staff and officials in the country. The hard work they have committed to the sport ahead of their selection and their dedication to training should be celebrated.

A huge part of the weekend is the atmosphere and ensuring they go home having enjoyed their Lord’s Taverners Junior Championship experience. We are also keen that their game (both on and off court) benefits from the tournament and they return to their home clubs feeling enriched as players by the experienced.”

More:

Final placings, results and award winners