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British Wheelchair Basketball announces the GB teams for the Women’s U24 European Championships and Men’s U22 European Championships.

Whilst the UK’s wheelchair basketball community is still basking in the gold and silver glow of the 2018 World Championships success, a number of the squad members are now looking forward to their next international competition following their selection to the GB’s junior teams.

Announced today are the selected 12 athletes for both the GB U24 Women’s team and U22 Men’s team – the men’s tournament will play out in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy between 10 September and 15 September. The women’s Championships will take place in Villenave-d’Ornon, France between 31 October and 4 November.

Captaining the men’s team will be Sheffield Steelers Jim Palmer; Jim has just returned from completing his international debut with the GB senior team at the Hamburg World Championships. Leading the women’s side will be GB’s Joy Haizelden, a seasoned junior and senior GB team member Joy has also just returned from Hamburg with a silver medal.

The men’s selection will see a total of six players making their major international debut’s for the GB Junior team – Lanre Sowami (Tornados), Callum Doherty (Manchester Mavericks), Oliver Griffith-Salter (CWBA), Will Bonner (Sheffield Steelers), Conn Nagle (NI Knights) and Ben Leitch (Glasgow Rocks).

On the women’s squad a total of seven players will make the international debut for the GB Junior side – Adele Atkin (Tornados), Jessica Dowdeswell (CWBA), Niamh Horan (Manchester Mavericks), Anastasia Blease (North Wales Knights), Maddison Martin (Tornados), Jade Atkin (Tornados) and Lucy Robinson (Sheffield Steelers).

The women will be joined by GB senior squad members Charlotte Moore, Joy Haizelden, Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Michaela Bell and Maddie Thompson.

In total 8 National League teams will be represented across the two GB junior teams, including three home country club representation.

Head coach for the GB Junior Men’s Team, Scott Wallace commented:

“The GB programme has such a strong pathway of talented young wheelchair basketball players coming through right now; it is great that we are welcoming six new international debutants onto the squad for the forthcoming European Championships.”

Supporting Scott Wallace’s comments, GB Junior Women’s Head Coach, Dan Price added:

“I’m delighted to see so many exciting new players on our GB Talent Pathway – it shows the appeal of the sport and the drive our junior players to represent their nation.”

“This will be our GB Junior Women’s Team’s first major since 2016; however our philosophy of building a team on and off the court still holds true with this women’s squad having trained and competed both in the UK and abroad as preparation for the Europeans.

“We are the current U25 World Champions – I imagine this will mark us as a team to watch in France.”

Men’s Selection:

Staff:

• Head Coach – Scott Wallace
• Assistant Coach – Peter Finbow
• Team Manager – Phil Robinson
• Physio – Rachel Spanner

Women’s Selection:

Staff:

• Head Coach – Dan Price
• Assistant Coach – Ally Hope
• Team Manager – Rosie Williams
• Physio – Laura Heathcote