GB Announce Squad for BT Paralympic World Cup

The GB women’s Wheelchair Basketball team are looking to avenge their fourth place finish at last year’s BT Paralympic World Cup, as they take on Canada, Germany and Japan in Manchester next month.

After beating Japan at the World Championships last year, the team are looking forward to competing against them again in the annual elite disability sporting competition. Canada and Germany will prove to be tough opposition as they are ranked third and second in the World, but as the team look to London 2012 they are ready to face the best teams in the world and hoping it will give them the experience they need to be in with a chance in London.

GB women’s head coach Garry Peel said, “We have a number of big competitions in the next couple of months that we are focussing on such as the U25’s World Championship, the BT Paralympic World Cup and the European Championships and at every step we are building a stronger team for London 2012. I’m really looking forward to this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup; it’s a local competition and the best teams in the world will be there, so it will ensure that it is a tough tournament and it is giving us the chance to bring in new players and test them at the highest level.”

Louise Sugden, one of GB’s leading players added, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is always a good opportunity to play in front of home crowd and to get people more excited at the prospect of the Paralympics in London 2012. Another good win over Japan is definitely our top target and a win over Canada would prove that we are really progressing and able to compete against the best in the world.”

Madeleine Thompson, who at age 16 is the youngest member of the team, said, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is my and most of the rest of the team’s favourite competition, as it is on home soil and the calibre of the teams is always very good giving us the type of competition we require.

“This tournament is a great one as it is a stepping stone for the GB team for the other tournaments coming up. With it being held in May means that the domestic basketball season has come to an end and it kick starts the focus being on GB.”

The confirmed GB team is:

Caroline Maclean　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Debee Steel　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Clare Strange　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Helen Freeman　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Laurie Williams　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Natasha Davies　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Amy Conroy　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Madeleine Thompson　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Helen Turner　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Louise Sugden　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Kirsty Wallace
Sarah McPhee　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The BT Paralympic World Cup is the largest annual international multi-sport competition in elite disability sport. BT is entering its third year as title sponsor, in a sponsorship which runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.

Manchester has committed for the seventh consecutive year to hosting elite international athletes competing across Wheelchair Basketball, Athletics and Swimming. In addition, Boccia and Sitting Volleyball will be represented for the first time, with international matches staged during the competition.