Six WAIS wheelchair basketballers selected to Gliders Team for Tokyo Paralympic Games

WAIS athletes make up half the Australian Gliders team for Tokyo, with six of the 12-strong team part of the Western  Australian Institute of Sport Wheelchair Basketball program, under Head Coach Brad Ness.

London silver medallists Amber Merritt and Sarah Vinci are joined by Mary Friday, Taishar Ovens, Shelley Cronau and Natalie Alexander on Australian Gliders Team.

The team is primed to make their return to Paralympic competition at Tokyo 2020, nine years after winning the silver medal at the London Paralympics.

The Gliders’ proud record at the highest level – four consecutive medals between 2000 and 2012 – was dented when the Team failed to qualify for Rio 2016.

Australian Team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin said she was thrilled the Gliders were headed back to the Games.

“The Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team belongs at the Paralympics,” McLoughlin said. “Three silver medals, a bronze and two fourth-placings since 1992 is a consistently strong record that I know this Team will be so keen to add to.

“I’m so pleased with the way the entire Gliders program bounced back, led well by Basketball Australia, and I think this is going to be a very special Paralympic campaign for this Team.”

Selections for the Rollers are yet to be made.