10 July 2018
Great Britain squad named for World Wheelchair Basketball Championships
Great Britain have the perfect blend of youth and experience to thrive at the 2018 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, according to head coach Haj Bhania, after the 12-man squad was announced.
The event will take place in Hamburg, Germany from 16-26 August and the British squad boasts vast experience – including eight of the 12 bronze-medal winning athletes who represented ParalympicsGB at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.
The team, which will be skippered by Rio 2016 medallist Phil Pratt, head into the World Championships following a string of positive performances at the recent Continental Clash at EIS Sheffield.
GB’s men ended that tournament undefeated, with the final game against Canada streamed live on BBC Sport Online for the first time in the history of the Continental Clash.
And Bhania is convinced the group that will head to Germany can build on those displays in Yorkshire.
He said: “I believe that we have a strong team and our strength is that we are a squad of multi-skilled athletes which creates depth in the team and versatility in our style of play.
“This is a group of committed players that combine youth and experience and have the collective ambition to perform for Great Britain.”
Terry Bywater is in line to compete at his fifth World Championships
The GB squad will be led by Pratt, captaining the team for his first major international tournament at 24 years old.
Pratt will be supported by a group of experienced athletes in Gaz Choudhry, 33, Abdi Jama, 35, and Terry Bywater, who will be competing at his fifth World Championships.
Adding depth to the forward line is Martin Edwards, who returned to the GB programme this year and has quickly worked his way back into the team.
Sheffield Steelers’ Harry Brown is also included and goes in search of another medal to accompany the European gold he won with the 2011 GB squad in Nazareth when he was just 17.
The other players included are Belfast-born James Macsorley, Gregg Warburton, Jim Palmer, Simon Brown, George Bates and Lee Manning.
Great Britain face 2014 World Championship runners-up USA, South Korea and Poland in Pool B – a group Bhania knows will provide a challenge.
“We’ve got a tough pool,” he added. “Undoubtedly the USA in particular will be a very difficult team to face as the current Paralympic champions.”
Great Britain Squad
Gaz Choudhry (Albacete Amiab) – Class 4.0 / Age 33
Simon Brown (Amiccaci) – Class 2.0 / Age 32
James Macsorley (Sheffield Steelers) – Class 2.0 / Age 23
Terry Bywater (Ilunion) – Class 4.5 / Age 35
George Bates (Sheffield Steelers) – Class 4.5 / Age 24
Harry Brown (Sheffield Steelers) – Class 2.5 / Age 24
Abdi Jama (Sheffield Steelers) – Class 1.0 / Age 35
Phil Pratt (Sheffield Steelers) – Class 3.0 / Age 24
Gregg Warburton (The Owls) – Class 2.0 / Age 21
Martin Edwards (The Owls) – Class 4.0 / Age 29
Lee Manning (Albacete Amiab) – Class 4.5 / Age 28
Jim Palmer (Rhine River Rhinos) – Class 1.0 / Age 21
Great Britain Fixtures (BST)
Fri 17 Aug – South Korea 19:45
Sun 19 Aug – USA 20:15
Mon 20 Aug – Poland 17:30
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