Athens Paralympic wheelchair basketball bronze medallist and TV presenter Ade Adepitan MBE will be the guest of honour as youngsters from regional teams across the UK will battle it out in Under 15 and Under 19 age categories for the coveted title of National Champions.

Recent European Championships bronze medallists Madeleine Thompson, Fran Ray and Laurie Williams will all be competing in the tournament which will see teams from the East of England, East Midlands, London, North West, Scotland, South East, SWNI (South West/Northern Ireland), West Midlands and Yorkshire taking part in the Under 19 category.

The Under 15 division will see teams from the East of England, East Midlands, London, Northern Ireland, North West, South East, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire battle it out for the title of National Champions.

Youth sports and disability charity The Lord’s Taverners, one of the country’s leading providers of sports wheelchairs, has initiated a junior development programme with the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association (GBWBA). The charity is on target to raise over £500,000 for wheelchair basketball ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games and has recently pledged 135 sports wheelchairs in partnership with the GBWBA.

Ade Adepitan MBE, Junior Programme President of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association, said: “The championships are not just a great fun occasion for all the athletes, but also provide the youngsters with a fantastic opportunity to gain match experience at a very high level.

“The Lord’s Taverners does a huge amount to support wheelchair sport and it’s recent donation of 135 wheelchairs to the GBWBA will have an enormous impact in giving youngsters across the country access to the sport.” 

Matthew Patten, Chief Executive of The Lord’s Taverners, said “The Lord’s Taverners believes that sport and recreation are vital to the development of all young people. The Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championships offer disabled youngsters the chance to compete in a national competition, improve their skills and have fun. We wish all of the players the best of luck for the weekend.”

Teams competing in the 2009 National Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championships are:

EAST of ENGLAND

EAST MIDLANDS

LONDON

NORTHERN IRELAND

NORTH WEST

SOUTH EAST

WALES

WEST MIDLANDS

YORKSHIRE

EAST of ENGLAND

EAST MIDLANDS

LONDON

NORTH WEST + NORTH EAST

SCOTLAND + WALES

SOUTH EAST

SWNI (SOUTH WEST/NORTHERN IRELAND)

WEST MIDLANDS

YORKSHIRE