Dutch confident of retaining wheelchair basketball European gold

After a nail-biting 56-57 win against Paralympic champions Germany at the 2013 IWBF European Wheelchair Basketball Championships, the pressure is on for the Netherlands to retain the European title this summer in Worcester, Great Britain.

Two-time Paralympian, Inge Huitzing, was the top scorer with 24 points for the Dutch side in the final against rivals Germany two years ago, a match that saw the Netherlands win their first European title since 1997.

The 40-year-old is excited about this summer’s competition which will feature seven teams in a round-robin format.

“The level of the European teams is high and close, which is great for Europe – it will make for some great games!” she said.

Selection for the final Dutch squad has not have been confirmed yet but Huitzing is confident in their ability to retain the gold medal.

“There have been no major changes to our squad or the coaching team from 2013, so I think our chances at keeping the gold are good.

“Germany and Great Britain will be our biggest rivals – but France also gave us a tough game in the semi-finals in 2013, so they may also be a team to watch.”

At last year’s World Championships in Toronto, Canada, the Netherlands finished with bronze behind champions Canada and silver medallists Germany.

The team’s main focus is currently on fitness and conditioning but with national training camps starting in May, ‘tactics and strategy will become a greater focus, the closer we get to the tournament.’

The European Wheelchair Basketball Championships will take place between 28 August 2015 and 7 September 2015 in Worcester, Great Britain. The seven teams taking part are: France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey.