Giants hope Jones stars Down Under
MANCHESTER will be well represented in England’s men’s and women’s basketball teams at the Commonwealth Games.
The Games are held on the Gold Coast in Australia, starting on April 4, and basketball makes its first appearance since 2006 when England’s men and women both came away with a bronze medal.
Manchester Giants captain Callum Jones features as part of a men’s squad made up largely of BBL players, while sister Georgia of Manchester Mystics will play a key role for the women.
Mystics team-mate Dominique Allen and local players Nicolette Fong Lyew Quee, Hannah Shaw and Mollie Campbell also figure for the women, while Cheshire-born Leicester Riders big man Andrew Thomson, formerly of Manchester Magic, is one of the men’s team’s most experienced players.
Giants coach Danny Byrne says Callum Jones’ call-up is a reward for the graft he has put in during his time with his hometown club.
He said: “It’s more than deserved. He has worked his backside off for this club for five years and this year probably worked harder than ever.
“He’s trusted and believed in me and that work has paid off.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he is a starting five player. It’s testament to what he’s done and we all hope he smashes it Down Under.”
England women are in the seeded group up against Australia, Canada and Mozambique. The men’s team are in the unseeded pool against Cameroon, India and Scotland. The top two teams in each seeded group (Pool A) progress to the semi-finals whilst the bottom two play-off against the top two teams from the unseeded group (Pool B) for the two remaining semi-final spots.
The Games will have a big impact on domestic basketball with the BBL and WBBL players losing their players for a number of weeks at key moment of the season.
Callum Jones’ selection, for instance, means the Giants will be without their star man for six BBL games – starting against London on March 25. He also misses home games against Surrey (March 30), Plymouth (April 13) and Glasgow (April 15), as well as visits to Bristol (April 6) and Leicester (April 7).