On the 22nd of January, the Australian Rollers secured their spot in the 2024 Paris Paralympics, with a nail-biting 53-51 victory over Iran in the final of the Asia Oceania Zone Championships in Thailand.
Four-time Paralympian hailing from Illawarra, and the Rollers Captain, Tristan Knowles, was very proud of the teams’ achievements in Thailand.
“I’m completely wrapped with the result the team achieved over in Thailand, and I’m really proud of the team. It’s a team that went to Thailand with a pretty monumental task of trying to secure the one direct qualifying spot for the Paris Paralympics, and we did that under a completely new coaching staff, a new approach in terms of strategies of playing, and 12 guys that haven’t played together before.
“To be able to go to Thailand and take down the current Paralympics silver medallists in Japan, and then to beat Iran (who are third in the world) twice in the final to grab the direct qualifying spot was really good reinforcement that we are onto a really good thing as a group, and allows us now to fully set our focus on Paris, and prepare for that.
“We got contributions right across the board from many different players – there were no passengers there, which makes the next 7-8 months really exciting to think about, around what we can continue to do as a group as we grow and evolve,” Knowles said.
Head Coach Brad Ness said it was a huge privilege to be trusted with getting the Rollers to Paris.
“They [Rollers] came up with a motto: ‘Why not us?’ We’ve defeated the silver medallists from Tokyo 2020, and we’ve just beaten the third-best team from Worlds, not once, but twice. So I wholeheartedly believe it – why can’t it be us?
“We’ll head home and plan out the next six months, continue working hard, and then head to Paris with the firm belief that we can be number one in the world,” Ness told Basketball Australia.
A huge congratulations to the Rollers, featuring NSW talent in Tristan Knowles, Luke Pople, Shawn Russell, and Assistant Coaches Darren Allie and Brett Stibners.
The Rollers are set to join the ranks of Great Britain, Spain, and the USA, having all secured their spots for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. The remaining four positions will be determined in a repechage event in France scheduled for April.
Meanwhile, the Australian Gliders kept their Paralympic dream alive by clinching bronze in a five-point victory over Thailand.
The tournament was beneficial for the Gliders, as the team with varying levels of international experience allowed them to gain some playing time and build cohesion, said Paralympian Georgia Munro-Cook.
“We were happy with the experience the tournament provided and getting the time together playing as a team, particularly with some new players getting their first international experience.
“While we would have obviously liked to qualify at this tournament, we did what was necessary to go the repechage in April, where I think we have a very good chance to qualify,” Munro-Cook said.
Basketball NSW would like to also congratulate the Gliders on their bronze achievements, with a team featuring plenty of NSW athletes Jessica Cronje, Hannah Dodd, Maryanne Latu, Stephanie van Leeuwen and Georgia Munro-Cook.
The Gliders next challenge awaits in Osaka, Japan, where they will compete in Pool A of the repechage against Algeria, Germany, and Thailand. Pool B comprises Spain, France, Canada, and Japan. The Gliders must secure a top-four finish to join the Rollers in Paris – good luck Gliders!