ENGLAND, SCOTS GIVEN GOLD COAST INVITES
Kieron Achara believes Scotland are good enough to make a run at the medals at next year’s Commonwealth Games after their place in a 12-team field was confirmed.
With Gold Coast 2018 finalising their field for team sports, it has been confirmed England will enter both men’s and women’s competitions but Scotland’s women have missed out. While it is understood neither Wales or Northern Ireland asked to send sides.
And now that the trip is in the diary for next April, Achara is confident the show of faith will pay off despite the recent departure of head coach Erik Olsen.
“I’m glad we proved we were worth of going,†the Great Britain skipper said. “I believe this is by far the best Scotland squad we’ve ever had if everyone is available to play. We just need to find a new coach now and focus in on the Games but having our core group playing together at the Rocks will help.
“The only bittersweet part is the women not going because they’ve worked really hard and had such a professional set-up in the WBBL at the Caledonia Pride. I’d really loved to have seen them there.â€
The last and only time basketball was on the programme was at the Melbourne 2006 Games where Australia claimed gold in the Men’s and Women’s events with England collecting bronze in both competitions.
“It’s been over a decade since basketball’s first and only appearance at a Commonwealth Games – but I’ve no doubt it’ll be worth the wait when it delights the crowds in 2018,†said Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin.
Split into two pools of four, nations will face off against teams in their pool during the preliminary rounds held in Townsville and Cairns between 5-10 April. The finals will then be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13-15 April.
The pools and match schedules for the Basketball preliminaries will be announced in the coming weeks
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