Co-captains Clare Strange and Louise Sugden say the GB women’s Wheelchair Basketball team could win a first Paralympic Games medal at London 2012.
Three-times Paralympian Strange and Sugden, who made her Paralympic debut in Beijing four years ago, will share the captaincy duties at the Games.
Sugden is fulfilling a target she set herself when it was announced London would host the Games.
“Seven years ago when I heard the Games were going to be in London I set myself the goal of being captain here and here I am on the edge of that reality,” she said. “It was perhaps a bit unrealistic, but I guess I made it happen.
“We’re feeling pretty good and we’re in a place we want to be,” added the 28-year-old from High Wycombe. “If we play the way we can we will definitely be up there with the best teams in the world.
“There isn’t anyone you would definitely stay will win gold or be in the final, so it’s going to be an interesting one.”
Strange, from Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, said: “We’re by far the best women’s team GB have put out for Wheelchair Basketball. We’re ready and we’re eager to show what we can do.
“We’re looking for a podium spot. It’s about going out and performing the way we know we can,” she added. “We believe if we perform well we will get a medal. It would be a good time to do it when we’re at home.
“Women’s Wheelchair Basketball is so close at the moment. Any of the teams at one to eight in the world could medal and we sit right in the middle of that. A lot of it is about the ability to perform on the day.”
And she said the team will get a big boost from the home crowd. “We played in front of about 800 people against the USA on Saturday and it was fantastic. We can’t wait to have 10,000 people on our side. It will be a very proud moment to be playing on home soil.
“We feel we’re the best GB team that has been put into a Games and what a time to have that at a home Games.”
The GB women’s team get their London 2012 campaign underway tomorrow when they face the Netherlands in a 13:00 start in Group A at the North Greenwich Arena.
Great Britain’s women achieved their highest World Championships finish yet when they came sixth in Birmingham two years ago and followed that up with bronze at the 2011 European Championships in Israel.
ParalympicsGB, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
