THREE Liverpool athletes are well on their way to completing their sporting dreams after being selected for the Paralympics Games in Beijing.
Paralympics GB has selected Liverpool’s Abdi Jama and Ade Oregbemi as part of the men’s British wheelchair basketball team for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
They join veteran Jon Pollock, originally from Merseyside but now living in Wigan, for the showpiece event in the Paralympics calender.
Abdi Jama, 25, and Ade Oregbemi, 29, are chomping at the bit to begin the action as this will be their first sojourn to the Paralympics this summer.
Pollock, 31, meanwhile is an established member of the team and will return to the Paralympics GB team for his third Games, having been part of the bronze medal winning team in Athens in 2004.
Ade Oregbemi said: “I am over the moon to have been selected for this summer’s Games.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little boy and I can’t wait to pull on the GB vest in September.”
Both the British men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams for the Games feature both first-time Paralympians as well as more experienced athletes, including High Wycombe’s Clare Strange and Essex’s Ann Wild in the women’s team and a number of the bronze medal winning British team from Athens, including Simon Munn, Terry Bywater, Matt Byrne and Andy Blake in the men’s team.
Pollock, who made his Games debut in Sydney in 2000 when the team finished fourth, said: “I am overjoyed with my selection, making it my third Paralympics.
“The squad is mixed with youth and experience and I believe this year could be a special one for GB and a semi-final placing would be great.
“One nice thing to look forward to is being in the same group as the hosts China as that game should have a super ambience.”
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opens on September 6 and closes on September 17. The wheelchair basketball events at the Games take place at the University of Science and Technology Gymnasium before the finals at the National Indoor Stadium.
The competition for the wheelchair basketball gets under way on September 7 with the finals scheduled for September 16. Britain’s men face hosts China in their opening game, followed by Australia, USA, Brazil and Israel.
Men’s team head coach, Murray Treseder, said: “It was a very tough selection to make because the squad of 15 were all pretty even.
“Our performances were promising at the Paralympic World Cup especially as it was the first time they’ve played together this year. We’ve got a lot of improvements to make but we’re confident that we’ll be able to make those between now and Beijing.”
Britain’s women meanwhile come up against Australia in their opening game before facing Brazil, USA and Germany in the rest of their pool games.
At the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, Britain finished second in the medal table with a total of 35 golds, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals. With competitive standards continually rising and the dominant Chinese team taking the home advantage Paralympics GB recognises that the 2008 Paralympics will be one of its biggest challenges yet.
Paralympics GB chief executive Phil Lane, said: “Paralympics GB is delighted to be able to confirm the selection of the wheelchair basketball teams for Beijing.
“Having just returned from the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, where many of these athletes put in top performances to win silver and bronze for GB – both teams have demonstrated they have the potential to hold their own among top teams.”
