Australia name men’s team for basketball Worlds

By Basketball Australia and Sport Inclusion Australia

The men’s team that will represent Australia at the 2017 International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) World Basketball Championships in Loano, Italy, has been named.

The Boomerangs will be led by 2013 World Championship bronze medallists Jarrod Thomson, Joshua Cleary, Bradley Kinross and Wayne Kinross between 20-26 November.

The team has had a great preparation with a tour to Japan as well as national competitions. They played at the Ivor Burge Championships in Bendigo and the 2017 Queens Birthday Long Weekend Tournament in Melbourne along with several training camps.

“This time together has been invaluable for the team, both in allowing players to gel as a team and for the coaches to appreciate the players strengths and combinations,” said head coach Simon Robinson.

Other players to make their way into the team include 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games representatives Frazer Dawber, Justin Koenig and Jake De La Motte. James Myers, Dylan Pace and Jack Littleton will make their national debut.

De La Motte stood out at the Ivor Burge Championships whilst Myers and Pace impressed with outstanding performances at the 2017 Queens Birthday tournament and the 2016 tour of Japan. Littleton’s size and strength will come in handy against the larger European teams.

“There is a good blend of experience and youth in the team and after just missing out on a medal in Ecuador [at the 2015 Global Games] they will be keen to go one better this tournament,” said Robinson.

While the Boomerangs are currently ranked sixth in the world they are never far from the medals. They have reached the medal round in half of the Championship tournaments since 1992, winning bronze in Portugal in 1996 and Turkey in 2013.

The women’s team has also been announced.

Team roster

Frazer Dawber

Jake De La Motte

James Myers

Jarrod Thomson

Brad Kinross

Wayne Kinross

Dylan Pace

Joshua Cleary

Justin Koenig

Jack Littleton

Staff

Head coach: Simon Robinson

Assistant coach: George Havakis

Technical assistant coach: Justin May

Medical: David Taylor

Manager: Trish Currie

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The International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (World Intellectual Impairment Sport) represents more than 300,000 athletes with intellectual impairments around the world. We give elite athletes the chance to compete at an international level and on the Paralympic stage. But we cannot continue our work towards the inclusion of the world’s biggest impairment group in sport and society without your support.

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