Ella honoured to be selected for Britain
Perth Phoenix star ready to show off skills in Sofia
Perth Phoenix basketball player Ella Doherty will proudly pull on the Great Britain colours in Bulgaria later this month.
The Kinross High School student is part of a 12-strong squad heading for Sofia to compete in the FIBA under-16 European Championships.
Held from August 15-24, the B-Division tournament will see the GB squad take to the court against the likes of Ireland, Belarus, Portugal, Albania and Austria.
Matches will be split between St George School Gym, Universida Hall and Traditza Hall - all in Sofia - with the opener against Portugal.
Ella is not a stranger to the main stage and has previous experience of competing in the event, which was last year held in Podgorica, Montenegro.
One year down the line and the 16-year-old is feeling sharp on court after a number of warm-up games across the past few weeks.
The GB squad has been getting up to speed with matches against Ireland and, more recently, a three game series against Denmark at Wildcats Arena in Nottingham.
Those fixtures have proved beneficial and now full focus is on making an impression in Bulgaria among a talented list of teams. Ella Doherty is looking forward to the Europeans
“When I was named as one of the 12 girls in the squad I was very excited and looked forward to beginning training and preparation for the European Championships,” said Ella, who is the only Scottish player in the squad.
“We, as a team, have already made a huge amount of progress just from our four day camp last weekend.
“The games against Denmark were
great preparation for us as it allowed us to put everything we had been practicing into a real game.
“It allowed us to all play together as a team and get a better feel for both our strengths and weaknesses.
“Everyone in the team is really looking forward to the European Championships as it’s such a unique experience.
“Each game over in Bulgaria will provide us with a different challenge. I think the most difficult part will be adapting to the heat as it’s a lot hotter over there and some of the team have never experienced playing basketball in such a different climate.”
Ella’s rise up the basketball ladder, which includes representing Scotland, has been an impressive one and she is grateful to all at Perth Phoenix for aiding her development.
Moving forward there is a desire to continue to improve and reach her full potential in the sport.
“The support I have received from Perth Phoenix has been great, not just now but throughout the whole season,” Ella explained to the Perthshire Advertiser. “Everyone has been pushing me to be the best I can.
“And if it wasn’t for my coach, Russel Kesson and support from my teammates and their parents then I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“In the future I hope to just keep improving and getting better everyday. I want to keep working hard and continue to enjoy playing the sport.”
The GB squad for the FIBA under-16 Women’s European Championship will be fronted up by head coach Kenrick Liburd.
Speaking after announcing the team, he said: “It is always difficult to see people leave but it’s very exciting to be down to the final squad.”