Britain’s world champions hoping for professional league at home

Britain’s first world wheelchair basketball champions are hoping their historic success will eventually inspire the domestic league to turn professional.

The team enjoyed their greatest night on Sunday by stunning Paralympic champions United States 79-62 to win gold in Hamburg.

“This is our finest achievement ever,” said team member Gaz Choudhry. “We really hope our success will help inspire, and I would absolutely love to see clubs turning professional.

“London 2012 was a very critical turning point, especially with the way it was covered by the media, and now we have Hamburg … but we would need the appetite there in communities.”

George Bates and Harry Brown led the scoring with 17 points each as the team secured their first global title. The victory comes just months after they moved in to a new headquarters at the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield, the base used by Anthony Joshua and Jessica Ennis-hill.

Choudhry, who plays in Spain, said the facility was “integral” to the team’s success as they are now able to meet every month to train. Thanks to UK Sport funding, the team are full-time athletes. However, elite players still travel to Spain and Germany, where the professional game is established.

“I wish Ryanair did air miles,” said Choudhry, who plays for Bsr Amiab Albacete. The 33-year-old, who lost his right leg to bone cancer aged 10, described the team’s performance against the US in the final as “phenomenal”.

The sides had met in the pool stage with the US winning 66-59, but the GB players were confident they could avenge that result in the final. Brown added: “All the pressure was on the USA. We knew if we played our game we would come out on top.”

GB’S women lost 56-40 to Holland in their final on Saturday.