The British Paralympic Association (BPA) today confirmed the 12 wheelchair basketball players who will compete in the men’s tournament at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The team includes 22 yr old Philip Pratt from Newportbut has already amassed a great deal of international experience at both a junior and senior level in wheelchair basketball. The London 2012 Paralympic Flag Bearer has represented Wales at The Lord’s Taverners National Junior Championships, the Sainsbury’s UK School Games, and in The Lord’s Taverners Wheelchair Basketball Celtic Cup, sponsored by the Hilton in the Community Foundation.
In addition, Phil also played a crucial role in the GB U22 Team’s qualification for the 2013 U23 World Championships with a 4th place finish at the 2012 European Championships. 2013 then saw Phil follow up this success by assisting GB to the bronze medal game at the U23 World Championships in Turkey.
At a senior level, 2012 saw Phil represent the GB Men’s B Team at the Standard Life Continental Clash in June where the team put up incredible performances against both Spain and eventual Paralympic Champions Canada.
Phil made his major senior debut for Great Britain in the summer of 2014 at the Men's World Championships in South Korea. Last year he was an integral member of the GB Senior Team who ensured their Rio quota place by winning the European Championships.
Phil first tried out Wheelchair Basketball at the Disability Sport Wales Wheelchair Sports Spectacular, that saw him try out in Athletics and Tennis before settling on Basketball.
Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission for ParalympicsGB, said:
“Wheelchair Basketball is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and engaging sports on the Paralympic programme, it is a clear crowd favourite and I know that this British team will be in a position to put on a fantastic show. The level of experience in this team is arguably unprecedented for a ParalympicsGB team and I can’t wait to see them in action.
“I would like to pay tribute to all the hard work done behind the scenes by players and staff at British Wheelchair Basketball in developing a GB team with such a tough and competitive line up.”
Team Leader and British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Director Paul Davies said:
“I am very proud of the team that is being announced today. For our performance programme London 2012 presented us with many opportunities and created a greater public awareness of the sport. With this increased national support behind us, our established performance team in place and the players we have selected; we are aiming for a medal position at Rio 2016.”
Today’s announcement takes the number of selected athletes on the ParalympicsGB team to 138, across 11 sports.
Selected athletes, men’s wheelchair basketball:
Abdi Jama (1.0)
Home town: Liverpool
Main training base: Italy/Worcester
Simon Brown (2.0)
Home town: Kingsbury, London
Main training base: Giullianova/Worcester
Kyle Marsh (2.0)
Home town: Wolverhampton
Main training base: Spain/Worcester
Gregg Warburton (2.0)
Home town: Leigh
Main training base: Tameside/Worcester
Ade Orogbemi (2.5)
Home town: Liverpool
Main training base: Spain/Worcester
Harry Brown (2.5)
Home town: Halifax
Main training base: Spain/Worcester
Phil Pratt (3.0)
Home town: Cardiff
Main training base: Sheffield/Worcester
Ian Sagar (3.0)
Home town: Barnsley
Main training base: Italy/Worcester
Gaz Choudhry (4.0)
Home town: Ealing, London
Main training base: Italy/Worcester
Simon Munn (4.0)
Home town: Milton Keynes
Main training base: Giullianova/Worcester
Terry Bywater (4.5)
Home town: Redcar, Middlesbrough
Main training base: Spain/Worcester
Lee Manning (4.5)
Home town: Peterborough
Main training base: Spain/Worcester
