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For the first time ever,
two brothers have been selected to represent Britain in a Visually
Impaired European Championships.
Sam and Joe Ingram have
been selected as part of a five-strong British team, for the 2009
European Championships, to be held from 3-5 July 2009, in Debrecen,
Hungary.
Competing in his first
major tournament since winning bronze at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics,
Sam Ingram will compete in the -90kg weight category.
After being out of the
sport for two years, Joe Ingram, brother to Sam makes his debut
in the -100kg weight category. Joe, whose last major tournament
was the 2007 VI World Championships, has been training at the
British Judo Performance Institute in Dartford since March.
Paralympian and three-time
European medallist Ben Quilter will compete in the -60kg weight
category. Darren Harris completes the line up at -66kg. Harris,
like Quilter, is a veteran of this event having competed in the
last two European Championships winning a silver medal in 2007.
Competing for the junior
men’s team on the Sunday, Daniel Powell will fight in the -73kg
weight category. This will be the 18-year-old’s first European
Championships after coming back into the sport. Like Joe and Sam
Ingram, Daniel is also keeping it in the family. Father Terry
Powell competed in both the Seoul and the Atlanta Paralympics.
He was also selected for the Sydney Paralympics in 2000, but withdrew
following injury.
The success of the British
Judo Association’s recently launched VI Talent Search campaign
rekindled Daniel’s interest in judo after taking a break from
the sport. He is now planning to relocate to the British Judo
Performance Institute from his home town of Liverpool, to train
full time with his brother Marc.
The BJA are actively
recruiting fit athletically minded individuals who have the aptitude
for judo and the potential to represent Great Britain at the Paralympic
Games in London 2012. Those who are able to demonstrate the core
competencies and commitment to adhere to an intensive 2012 preparation
programme, will be included within the BJA’s Paralympic Development
Programme.
It has been ten years
since Britain has seen a VI European Champion crowned, and with
such a strong team it is hoped that this year could be Britain’s
year.
Commenting on the team’s
current condition, Dave Sanders Paralympic Programme Manager and
Head of Delegation for the VI squad said, “The team is in good
shape at the moment. All are fighting fit and ready for these
Championships”.
“After the success at
the Paralympics with Sam‘s bronze medal and Ben’s 5 th Place,
we are confident that our players have the experience and are
also well prepared for this Championships”, he added.
Commenting on his expectations
Sanders said, “We are positive we will have good representation
in the finals and look for the team to win one to two medals”.
SENIOR MEN’S
TEAM:
-60KG BEN QUILTER
-66KG DARREN HARRIS
-90KG SAMUEL INGRAM
-100KG JOE INGRAM
JUNIOR MEN’S
TEAM:
-73KG DANIEL POWELL
© Mike
Varey
-Ends-
Media Contact:
Nicola Turner
British Judo Association
(t) 01509 631695
nicolaturner@britishjudo.org.uk
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