Merseyside’s wheelchair basketball teams say the sport is in crisis as funding woes and stalled growth threaten their future.
Cheshire Phoenix and Liverpool Basketball Club (LBC) are amongst the sides dealing with challenges both off and on the court.
Volunteer and community work play a vital role in sustaining these clubs, through admin support, coaching and financial help.
Wheelchair basketball is the biggest paralympic team sport in the UK, where players are classified on a points system according to the degree of their impairment(s), not exceeding 14 points on the court at any given time.
British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB) is the national governing body, and they said on their website: “BWB remains dedicated to expanding wheelchair basketball at all levels, championing its mission to make wheelchair basketball an everyday sport.”
However, grassroots teams see little of the available funding. Ex GB player and head coach of Cheshire Phoenix, AJ Jackson and LBC committee member and player Roseanne Cliff, remain committed to growing the sport locally, and keeping wheelchair basketball thriving despite limited financial resources.
