Head Coach Simon Fisher and Kayla Bell Selected For GB Men’s And Women’s Squads Ahead Of The 2021 European Championships

Taking place just four months after the GB teams returned from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, the Championships will take place in Madrid between the 4th to the 12th December 2021.

The men’s team, captained by Lee Manning, will see Gaz Choudhry again adopt a player/coach role working with the on-court GB Coaching team of Haj Bhania OBE (Head Coach) and Simon Fisher (Assistant Coach). The squad line up also see’s World Championship Gold Medallist’s Martin Edwards, Simon Brown, Kyle Marsh and Phil Pratt return to GB duty.

The women’s team will see 2019 U25 World Championship Bronze Medallists Jade Atkin and Niamh Horan make their senior squad debut. Head Coach of the GB Women’s Coaching team at the Championships will be three-time Paralympian and established GB programme coach Steve Caine. Assisting Steve in Madrid will be Loughborough Lightning Wheelchair Basketball’s new Head Coach and GB World Champion George Bates, as GB Women’s Assistant Coach.

The GB Men will commence their European Championships Campaign on the 4th December when they face Israel as their opening game in Group B. Twelve men’s teams will be competing in the 2021 European Championships in two pools (A & B). GB Men’s wheelchair basketball team have a rich history at the European Championships taking the title three times in a row, and the regaining the title in Poland at the 2019 competition.

The GB Women begin their European Championships campaign on 5th December when they face France. Europe is undoubtedly one of the strongest wheelchair basketball zones in the world, including the Netherlands who GB have faced in the finals at both the 2018 World and 2019 European Championships.

Following today’s Squad Announcement British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Director, Jayne Ellis commented: “Undoubtedly this has been a unique and challenging 12 months in our international competition calendar – never before have we had to prepare the GB senior teams for two major internationals within six months of one another. In Tokyo our GB teams showed the world their grit and determination. Today, I am once again so tremendously proud of this group of incredible, focused and passionate athletes who will represent our nation in Madrid. I continue to be in awe of their dedication and talent, and their sheer determination to deliver world-class performances at the European Championships in December.”

You can keep up to date with Team GB’s progress via the BWB Hub:

GB Women’s Team

4 Charlotte Moore (1.0)

5 Sophie Carrigill (1.0)

6 Kayla Bell (1.0)

7 Helen Freeman (4)

8 Laurie Williams (2.5)

9 Jude Hamer (4)

12 Lucy Robinson (4.5)

14 Joy Haizelden (2.5)

15 Robyn Love (3.5)

16 Jade Atkin (4.5)

17 Niamh Horan (3)

GB Men’s Team

4 Gaz Choudhry (4.0)

5 Simon Brown (2.0)

6 Kyle Marsh (2.0)

7 Terry Bywater (4.5)

9 Harry Brown (2.5)

10 Abdi Jama (1.0)

11 Phil Pratt (3.0)

12 Gregg Warburton (2.0)

14 Lee Manning © (4.5)

15 Ben Fox (3.5)

16 Jim Palmer (1.0)

17 Martin Edwards (4.0)