Devils aiming for third straight podium at World Championships

The Australian Devils tip off their 2019 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Women’s Under-25 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships campaign on 23 May, aiming to equal or better their silver medal winning performances from the previous two tournaments.

The Devils have departed for Suphan Buri, Thailand, where they will be one of eight teams vying for the title of world champion.

The majority of the Australian team, including Maryanne Latu, Jess Cronje, Georgia Bishop-Cash, Mary Friday, Isabel Martin and Taishar Ovens, has several years’ experience in the Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball League.

Developing athletes Lauren Hardbottle, Sarah King, Victoria Simpson and Teisha Shadwell, who are all under the age of 17, will be joined by the most experienced player on the roster in Australian Glider Annabelle Lindsay, who competed at last year’s 2018 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Hamburg, Germany, and spent the last season with the University of Texas at Arlington in the USA.

“This is an exciting time,” said Head Coach Stephen Charlton. “We have a young team of exciting athletes that we believe have fantastic opportunities in front of them.”

Head of Wheelchair Basketball Leigh Gooding added: “This is a young, developing group, and a fantastic squad of young women that will do us proud.

“They will need to come together very quickly in the early rounds, in what is sure to be a testing environment to make a run at a medal, but we are confident with the personnel we have selected.”

The Gliders will face Germany, Turkey and the USA in the group stage from 23-25 May, with every team advancing to the quarter-finals on Sunday (26 May).

All games can be viewed live on Facebook and YouTube, with statistics available here.

By Basketball Australia
Posted: 20/05/2019
Photo with thanks to Basketball Australia