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The Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team, the Gliders, will end a nine-year absence from the Paralympic Games when they take on hosts Japan in the opening match of Tokyo 2020 on Wednesday.
After claiming the silver medal at London 2012 the Gliders missed out in qualifying for the Rio Games in 2016.
Only two players from the London campaign, WA duo Sarah Vinci and Amber Merritt, are part of a fresh-faced squad looking to rebuild the Gliders’ international standing.
The team’s only other two-time Paralympian is Queenslander Hannah Dodd, who competed in a different sport – Para-equestrian – in London nine years ago.
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The Gliders have historically been a major force in Paralympic tournaments, claiming three silver medals (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, London 2012) and a bronze (Beijing 2008).
Australia’s most recent performance on the world stage resulted in ninth place at the 2018 World Championships in Germany, a tournament where only half of the Tokyo squad took part.
The Gliders warmed-up for their Paralympic return with a 51-42 practice match win over Spain at Ariake Arena on Monday morning.
Captain Georgia Munro-Cook, who is among the large group of Paralympic debutants in the team, was pleased with the hit-out.
“It was our first game in a long time. It was really exciting to play a and get the nerves out and I’m really happy with how we played,” she said.
“It’s a really new bunch but a really great group of girls and we’ve really improved a lot in the last two or three years since worlds. “I think we’re kind of the underdogs going into this (tournament) so I think we can really surprise some people.”
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Australia is drawn in Group A with 2018 World Championship runner-up Great Britain, Rio bronze medallists Germany, along with Canada and hosts Japan.
Group B features reigning Paralympic champions USA, reigning world champions the Netherlands, China, Algeria and Spain.
The Australian squad will train on Tuesday before their first match, which will be played at the smaller Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, on the outskirts of the Japanese capital.
“We’ve played Japan a lot in the past six years since I’ve been on the team and I think it will be really good to get that out of the way as our first game,” Munro-Cook said. “The results have been pretty mixed against them, but especially lately, it been really 50-50.”
AUSTRALIA WOMEN’S WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL – “THE GLIDERS”
GROUP A FIXTURES
(All times Australian Eastern standard time)
Wednesday August 25: 6pm v JAPAN (Musashino Forest Sport Plaza)
Thursday August 26: 10am v GERMANY (Musashino Forest Sport Plaza)
Saturday August 28: 9.30pm v GREAT BRITAIN (Ariake Arena)
Sunday August 29: 9.30pm v CANADA (Musashino Forst Sport Plaza)
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By: Paralympics Australia
Posted: 24 August 2021
