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The Australian Rollers begin their journey to back-to-back World Championships on Saturday night at the 2014 IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Incheon, South Korea.
Drawn in the “Group of Death”, the climb to a second consecutive World Championship will push the Rollers to the limit, with powerhouse European trio Sweden, Germany and Italy providing the obstacles to the knockout phase.
Australian Rollers Head Coach Ben Ettridge said his team have learnt to deal with adversity and the pressure of success, focusing their energy into the things they can control.
“I’ve said this many times – we’ve got that target on our back, we’ve been a target for many years now and that’s something we wear as a badge of honour,” Ettridge said.
“Teams are always going to come out and give the Australian Rollers their best effort. Something we’ve been able to do very well in the past in absorb those blows in the tournament and still be there are the pointy end competing for medals.
“The biggest thing is we don’t have any expectations beyond our own.”
CLICK HERE to watch the feature on the Rollers at last month’s training camp in Melbourne.
The Rollers open their 2014 IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championship against Sweden on Saturday 5 July at 7:45pm AEST before games against Germany on Sunday and Italy on Monday.
CLICK HERE for the full schedule for the 2014 IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championship.
For all the latest information on the Rollers quest for back-to-back IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championship be sure to visit the BA website at basketball.net.au.
Australian Rollers Group Stage Fixtures
Australian Rollers v Sweden
Saturday 5 July @ 7:45pm (All times AEST)
Australian Rollers v Germany
Sunday 6 July @ 3:30pm
Australian Rollers v Italy
Monday 7 July @ 5:45pm
Australian Rollers Team for the 2014 IWBF Men’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships
Joshua Allison – Victoria
Jannik Blair – Victoria/University of Alabama
Adam Deans – Wollongong Rollerhawks
Justin Eveson – Be Active Perth Wheelcats
Michael Hartnett – Be Active Perth Wheelcats
Tristan Knowles – Victoria
Bill Latham – RSL Queensland Spinning Bullets
Brad Ness – Red Dust Heelers Adelaide
Shaun Norris – Be Active Perth Wheelcats
Tom O’Neill-Thorne – RSL Queensland Spinning Bullets
Luke Pople – Wollongong Rollerhawks
Nick Taylor – Wollongong Rollerhawks
Staff:
Head Coach: Ben Ettridge
Assistant Coach: Craig Friday
Assistant Coach: Luke Brennan
Team Manager: Leigh Gooding
Physiotherapist: Jesse Adams
Recovery Specialist: Jo Vaile
For all the latest news, results and info from the Australian Rollers be sure to visit the BA website at basketball.net.au
By Basketball Australia
Posted: 3/7/2014.
