By Nick Butler

A student tournament is a further way to increase the appeal of the sport among the young By Nick Butler February 28 – Five English universities will descend on Worcester this weekend for the first ever Wheelchair Basketball Universities Championships. The event, in which the University of Worcester, Nottingham Trent University, Durham University, the University of Northampton and Sheffield Hallam University will participate, will take place on Sunday (March 2) It will be the first competition of its kind in the UK for Universities to compete at disability sport giving them the opportunity for their disabled students to play alongside their peers. It will take place in a round-robin before a knock out stage and could see teams playing either six or seven matches. British Wheelchair Basketball’s Education Officer, Oliver Mitchell, said: “British Wheelchair Basketball has just begun to work within the HE sector, and it is hoped that from this inaugural competition, the HE wheelchair basketball competition framework shall be significantly developed and provide students with further meaningful competitive opportunities in the future. “ University of Northampton Wheelchair Basketball President, Brian Hinton, said “We like to see ourselves as one of the forerunners in University wheelchair basketball, pushing for more University collaboration and believe that this Championship is going to open the flood gates for future development of the sport. “As a University, I'm not sure some understand the history we're about to make as a sport, yet they are very much supportive and are supplying us with everything we need to compete ©British Wheelchair BasketballFebruary 28 - An inaugural wheelchair basketball competition for students will be held at the University of Worcester this weekend in a latest attempt to boost participation levels in the sport.


The event, which will feature Nottingham Trent, Durham, Northampton and Sheffield Hallam, as well as the University of Worcester, will take place tomorrow. 

It will consist of a round-robin format followed by semi-finals and finals - meaning each side will play between five and seven matches. 

Although building on the rich heritage of university level sport in Britain, it will be the first student event of its kind in Paralympic sport and is consequently a further means to promote wheelchair basketball among the young as well as to showcase the University of Worcester - the base for both senior national teams - as a British hub for the sport.

The University of Northampton will be among five teams participating ©Gabriella Romano BA Journalism of University of NorthamptonThe University of Northampton will be among five teams participating
©Gabriella Romano BA Journalism of University of Northampton



"British Wheelchair Basketball has just begun to work within the Higher Education (HE) sector," said British Wheelchair Basketball's Education Officer Oliver Mitchell.

"It is hoped that from this inaugural competition, the HE wheelchair basketball competition framework shall be significantly developed and provide students with further meaningful competitive opportunities in the future."

Similar enthusiasm was offered by the University of Northampton Wheelchair Basketball President, Brian Hinton.

"We like to see ourselves as one of the forerunners in university wheelchair basketball, pushing for more university collaboration and believe that this Championship is going to open the flood gates for future development of the sport," he said. 

"As a University, I'm not sure some understand the history we're about to make as a sport, yet they are very much supportive and are supplying us with everything we need to compete."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2014: IPC President Sir Philip opens British Rio 2016 training base in Worcester
November 2013: London 2012 and world champions join visitors at ParalympicsGB Sports Fest
June 2013: University of Worcester to be base for British wheelchair basketball teams