NEW LOOK GLIDERS TEAM HEADS TO OSAKA CUP IN JAPAN

Current World Champions the Netherlands will headline the tournament while Great Britain, who lost to the Netherlands in the World Championship gold medal game, will join re-building Japanese and Australian teams in the four-nation competition.

Only five Gliders players return from last year’s IWBF World Championships with youngsters such as Teisha Shadwell and Mary Friday as well as some impressive talent from the Under-25 Devils including Georgia Bishop-Cash and Jess Cronje joining the team.

“This will be a challenging tournament for the developing Aussie Gliders program but it will provide a great opportunity to go up against the best in the world and get some invaluable international competition and experience for our young group,” said Head of Wheelchair Basketball, Leigh Gooding.

“Following the IWBF World Championships last August, we have seen several experienced Gliders campaigners in Clare Nott, Leanne Del Toso, Cobi Crispin, Shelley Chaplin and Kylie Gauci finishing up in the national program and taking with them a mass of international experience and leadership.

“This new squad is young and hungry and while they are inexperienced in international competition, the likes of Ella Sabljak, Amber Merritt, Georgia Munro-Cook and Hannah Dodd get their opportunity to lead this team towards Tokyo 2020.”

At the Osaka Cup, the Gliders will work on team structures while the coaching staff, led by David Gould, will be able to test different combinations and line-ups to see how Australia can combat some of the best women’s teams in the world.

Overseas players Shelley Cronau (Spanish League) & Georgia Inglis (University of Alabama) are unavailable for selection to this tour while promising youngster Maryanne Latu was a late withdrawal.

The Osaka Cup is the first step for the Gliders 2019 campaign as they aim towards qualifying through the Asia Oceania zone for Tokyo 2020.

The Australian Gliders Schedule for the 2019 Osaka Cup (all times AEST):

February 15: Australian Gliders vs. Japan at 12pm
February 15: Australian Gliders vs. Netherlands at 3.30pm
February 16: Australian Gliders vs. Great Britain at 1pm
February 17: Bronze medal game at 12.30pm
February 17: Gold medal game at 3.30pm

The Australian Gliders Team for the 2019 Osaka Cup:

Gliders Staff Members

David Gould- Head Coach (South Australia)

Craig Campbell- Assistant Technical Coach (Victoria)

Stephen Charlton- Assistant Coach (Western Australia)

Anna Rich- Physiotherapist (Victoria)

Cathy Lambert- Team Manager (South Australia)

Murray Treseder- Women’s Program Director (Western Australia)

The post NEW LOOK GLIDERS TEAM HEADS TO OSAKA CUP IN JAPAN appeared first on Basketball Australia.

The Australian Gliders have left Australia to once again take part in the Osaka Cup tournament from February 15-17 in Japan.

The post NEW LOOK GLIDERS TEAM HEADS TO OSAKA CUP IN JAPAN appeared first on Basketball Australia.