Report and pictures from John Coxon
The Dutch Wheelchair Basketball team (Rollers ) have beaten the GB team in a fiercely contested opening match of the Wheelchair Basketball World Championships with the narrowest of margins, 39-38, saved by what their somewhat relieved manager, Mariken Klassen called the “Hand of God” when Louise Sugden missed a two pointer with just 8 seconds left to play. The championships are being held at the NIA Birmingham run from 7th -17th July and this was the opening match.
The spirited British girls , (who Head Coach Gary Peel still likes to calls a developing team he brought in again a few youngsters already doing well at this level) built themselves a promising seven points lead by the end of a feisty second quarter 22-17. After battling out the third with a minute to time it was tied on 32 a piece and at the start of the fourth an agonising minute had lapsed before Helen Freeman put in two points to put GB in the lead. Some twenty seconds or so later the seemingly ever reliable Cher Korver pulled it back to 34 each and then added another two.
