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2018 wheelchair basketball Worlds: 6 months to go
Six athletes to know at the World Championships in Hamburg 16 Feb 2018
Patrick Anderson could make his first major tournament appearance since London 2012
The 2018 wheelchair basketball World Championships are six months away from tip off in Hamburg, Germany. Some nations have already announced their roster for the World Championships, which will be held 16-26 August, while others are in the process of putting together a winning team.
Here are six athletes you should know ahead of Hamburg:
Patrick Anderson, Canada
Arguably one of the sport’s best players was announced on the Canadian 2017 national team roster. Owning three Paralympic titles and a World Championship gold from 2006, Anderson shook off the rust at the 2017 Americas Cup and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. If he suits up for Hamburg, it would be his first major competition since London 2012, where Canada won the gold.
Mariska Beijer, Netherlands
After missing out on the gold medal at Rio 2016 and settling for the bronze, the Netherlands needed to turn their focus onto the next target: Hamburg. Beijer has been a scoring machine for the Dutch squad and is a double-team magnet.
Laura Furst, Germany
Furst got valuable experience from Rio 2016 playing with veterans on the squad. Now with many key Germany players retired, Furst is among the seasoned players expected to help her team contend for a podium on their home courts.
Ozgur Gurbulak, Turkey
The veteran showed he still has the three-point clutch shot at last year’s European Championships. With the 2017 European title on the line, Gurbulak nailed crucial points in the final two minutes to finally defeat rival Great Britain and enter the World Championships year with a good feeling.
Rose Hollermann, USA
Only 18 at her first Paralympics in London, Hollermann finally got a real playing experience in Rio and is coming off that gold-medal winning team. She could add her first Worlds gold to her name.
Gregg Warburton, Great Britain
Only 19 years old at his first Paralympic Games in Rio, where Great Britain won the bronze, Warburton has been a promising product from the British development programme.
