Wednesday 16 May 2012

Wheelchair rugby squad gets London nod


We have just posted the England Euro 2012 squad, here is a truly inspirational squad selection. With thanks to Channel 4, the paralympics official broadcaster, for text and photo.

Steve Brown will lead an 11-strong squad for the 2012 Paralympics

Great Britain's wheelchair rugby players will be hoping to end their run of two successive fourth-placed finishes at the Paralympics after they were named in the London 2012 ParalympicsGB squad.

Steve Brown will captain the 11-strong squad which includes five players who missed out on a bronze medal in Beijing; Andy Barrow, Ross Morrison, Jonny Coggan, Mandip Sehmi and Bulbul Husain.

Meanwhile, six players will make their Paralympic debuts in London; Brown, Myles Pearson, David Anthony, Mike Kerr, Aaron Phipps and Kylie Grimes.

Hussain is the only addition to the GB squad which lost the final of the London Invitational International Wheelchair Rugby tournament to Australia last month.

The hosts, ranked sixth in the world, beat European champions Sweden, world number five Canada as well as Australia in the group stages before losing the finale to the Beijing Paralympic silver medallists at the brand-new Basketball Arena, venue for wheelchair rugby at the London 2012 Paralympics.

GB's star performer at the tournament was Phipps, who becomes the team's first ever "high-pointer" at 3.5, the highest classification (least disabled) possible in wheelchair rugby.

The 29-year-old is among the fastest players in the sport and possesses a similar attacking threat to Australia's Ryley Batt, widely acknowledged to be the best player in the world.

“The selection of Aaron is important to us and a very definite part of our strategy,” said GB head coach Tom O’Connor.

“All of the top nations have high-point players and indeed Australia’s high-pointer Ryley Batt is considered one of the best players in the world.

"Having Aaron on the team means that we have the potential to take on players like Ryley and that can make the crucial difference between winning and losing a game.”

The team has evolved since Beijing when a number of experienced players retired, paving the way for a new generation to make their impact.

A fifth-place finish at the 2010 World Championships suggested the team was developing along the right lines, while a silver medal at the 2011 European Championships confirmed GB are medal contenders in London.

However, they must overcome Australia as well as defending Paralympic champions USA for the top spot on the podium.

"We are now in a position where we are confident that the team we have nominated is one that can win a medal this time around," said Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby chief executive David Pond.

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