We are delighted to announce the players who have been given the honour of leading their respective teams at the forthcoming World Maxibasketball Championship FIMBA – Mar Del Plata 2023 in Argentina. Players were selected by the coaches and confirmed at the penultimate training camps before our five GB teams head off to Argentina.
Leading the GB Men 40+ team is former Scotland international SCOTTY RUSSELL, who has been with the programme since the 2020/21 season and represented GB Maxis at the European Maxibasketball Championship in Malaga last year. Alongside him in Malaga was Birmingham’s STEVE FOSTER, who has been named as Vice-Captain.
For the GB Women 40+, joint captaincy honours go to former England U25 player EMMA PARSLOW and former NCAA player JEN WATSON, now based in Yorkshire. Emma has been with the programme since its inception and was a member of one of the first ever British teams to compete at the World Maxibasketball Championship 2019 in Espoo. She also represented Great Britain in Malaga in 2022, as did Jen Watson for the first time.
Moving to the GB Men 50+ squad, head coach Stephen Barnes has appointed former Wales international KEITH KELLY as captain. His ever-youthful looking namesake, Londoner KEITH PRINGLE is appointed as the GB M50+ Vice-Captain. Both competed at the European Championship 2022 in Malaga, with Keith Kelly stepping up from the Naughty Forty-Five age group to the Fabulous Fifties squad.
The GB women’s 50+ team will be led by ex-England & Commonwealth 1991 gold medalist, LOUISE COOKE. Co-vice captains are former Scotland international SHIRLEY CAMPBELL and ex National League Division 1 player (London & Birmingham) EMMA SERIA-WALKER. All previously competed in the World Championship 2019 and Europeans in 2022, so know what to expect in a challenging performance environment.
Finally, we are delighted to announce former BBL semi-pro player PHIL PEARCE, and ex-Crystal Palace, ex-England and ex-NBA player STEVE BUCKNALL as co-captains of the GB Men’s 55+ team. We are delighted for both players, who unfortunately missed out on selection for last years European Championship due to injury, and we know that Head Coach Mike Martin will be keen to see them in action, as well as leading their team in Argentina.
GB Maxibasketball Programme Director, Sadie Mason MBE, said:
“These appointments are key to providing on and off-court leadership and cohesion, especially when we get to Argentina, where we know there will be more than 200+ teams from South America waiting for us! GB will have a delegation of 70 players and staff, plus around 20 friends/family for support. So, I’m delighted that we have an experienced cadre of players who can step into these leadership roles to provide extra support. We are all behind them.
Congratulations to each and every one of you!”