ParalympicsGB have today named the 12 athletes selected to represent Great Britain at the wheelchair rugby competition at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Among the 12-strong squad is sole female athlete Josie Pearson, making her Games debut in Beijing as well as Wolverhampton’s Alan Ash, selected for his fourth Paralympics in Beijing.
Among the squad are eight established Paralympians, including Andy Barrow, Justin Frishberg and Ross Morrison as well as four Paralympic Games debutants, including Chris Ellis, Bulbul Hussain and Mandip Sehmi.
Team captain Andy Barrow said: “It’s a tremendous honour to be selected to represent my country. It’s going to be my second Paralympics but this time I will be captain, which is a fantastic.
“Our aim in Beijing is to medal. We came fourth in Athens in 2004 and fourth again at the last world championships in 2006 so to win a medal would be fantastic. Personally I would like to see us reach the final.”
Wheelchair Rugby Team Manager Tom O’Conner said: “Now we’ve made our decision and selected our team we can all focus on and look forward to the Games in Beijing.
”We’re looking to medal in Beijing, which will be a challenge as all the other teams in the world have also made improvements over the last four years but to win a medal would be fantastic.”
ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane, said: “To be selected for a Paralympic Games is a great achievement and these athletes should be proud of all the hard work they’ve put in to be selected for ParalympicsGB for Beijing. Hopefully this hard work will pay off in Beijing where I look forward to seeing the team try and better their achievements in Athens to bring home Britain’s first wheelchair rugby Paralympic Games medal.
“I am delighted to see that Josie is among the squad as she will become Britain’s first ever female wheelchair rugby player at a Paralympic Games, which shows that the sport in Britain is growing and developing in its appeal and competitive scope.”
The team, which has just returned from the International Wheelchair Rugby Super Series in Australia, will now jet off to Canada to play in the Canada Cup competition, where the top eight ranked teams in the world will battle it out for the title. This competition will be perfect preparation for the team for the Games as they will come up against the same teams competing in the same groups as in Beijing at the Paralympics.
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on September 6 and closes on September 17. The wheelchair rugby events at the Games take place at the University of Science and Technology Gymnasium and get under way on September 12 with the finals scheduled for September 16. Britain face New Zealand in their opening game, followed by Germany and Australia.
At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals. With competitive standards continually rising and the dominant Chinese team taking the home advantage ParalympicsGB recognises that the 2008 Paralympics will be one of its biggest challenges yet.
