Sheffield EIS ‘Blue Court’ Overhauled as GB Wheelchair Elite Training Centre

EIS Sheffield’s notorious ‘blue court’ has been given a fresh renovation to become British Wheelchair Basketball’s Elite Training Centre.

To mark 1000 days to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, the centre was officially opened on Wednesday November 29, and will be home to both the men and women’s GB Performance Programmes.

The renovation was funded by the Sport England and UK Sport ETC Project Fund, and cost approximately £250,000, putting an end to the multi-sport lines and hard blue floor that the old court was regularly criticised for.

It will provide a regular training venue to the GB centralised programmes, and host the monthly men’s GB camps. It will also nurture the sports future stars by hosting many of the GB talent pathway camps and events.

For those who ‘fondly’ remember the Blue Hall at the EISS this is how good it now looks. Home to the Elite Training Centre for @BritWheelBBall and being visited today by @uk_sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger. Court looks excellent! pic.twitter.com/2LcUXX396L

— Richard Fidler (@richardfidler) November 29, 2017

However, with the wheelchair teams utilising the court for the majority of the week there has been no partnership formed with the British Basketball Federation or Basketball England for potential venue-sharing moving forward.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s relocation to Sheffield followed an extensive review process which was undertaken by the NGB with the support of UK Sport’s ETC Programme Team, with a firm focus of identifying a facility which would enable the teams’ success at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and beyond.

British Wheelchair Basketball’s Performance Director, Paul Davies commented: “EIS Sheffield provides the GB Performance Programme the opportunity to offer our athletes a dedicated training centre with a purpose laid, world class, international specification court. Our athletes will also train alongside other successful Olympic and Paralympic sports, in a centre of sporting excellence, this is a place within which we can generate a truly inspirational environment.”

Acting CEO for British Wheelchair Basketball, Jo Richards believes that a dedicated training venue will enable the GB Teams to achieve greater success and comments:

“It is an exciting time for British Wheelchair Basketball, there is such a wealth of talented players developing through the UK domestic leagues and into our GB programmes.

“As well as offering our GB players a world-class training venue, EIS Sheffield will also become an aspirational destination for our league junior players to one day train on the same court as their GB heroes.”

👀 Ahead of the launch of British Wheelchair Basketball’s GB Elite Training Centre on Wednesday, could this possibly be the blue court that had ALL the lines on at EIS Sheffield?! 🙌🇬🇧🏀 pic.twitter.com/fJ0Qlwvdlt

— Hoopsfix 🇬🇧🏀 (@Hoopsfix) November 27, 2017

Speaking at the launch Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair, UK Sport:

“I believe that great facilities will inspire truly great performances. To have a place like this, where British Wheelchair Basketball can centralise, bring in the best coaching support, medical support and technical support all under one roof and really have a place that BWB’s Performance Programme and GB athletes can call home – it makes a difference.

“This venue will inspire even greater things to come. As athletes, you have deserved and earned this and UK sport is very proud of this partnership.”