Sheffield Steelers Wheelchair Basketball club are the only British and amateur team heading to the Euro Cup finals in Spain after finishing third in their qualifying tournament.
As the only team to be unbeaten in the English league so far, they are confident as they head to the finals in April.
The club was formed in 1987 by patients from the spinal injury unit in Sheffield and have become one of the biggest competitors in the sport.
Abs Taghrest, who has been playing the sport since he was nine years old, said: “It would be massive to win. We’ll be coming up against some tough Spanish teams, which is the best league in the world.
“We are massive underdogs but we always aim to win.”
Despite the Great British team being one of the best international teams in the sport, Abs said this hasn’t translated into funding for sport in the UK.
The team had to fundraise to get to their qualifying game in Germany, and will have to again for the Euro Cup Finals.
Tom Harvey, who studies full time while training, said: “All the teams that we go out and play they’re all professional. They have sponsors and everything’s paid for.
“Whereas over here we have to bring in sponsors to pay for our trips.”
Both players are students and plan to head to Spain or Germany when they finish their degrees to play professionally.
In other leagues across Europe, sponsorships fund players, but athletes here have to look outside the sport to support themselves.
Maurice Hammerton, Chairman of the Sheffield Steelers, said they often lose players abroad, so it becomes hard for the team to compete at a higher level. However, there are plans for a professional league in England.
Mr. Hammerton said: “Unless you see it, you don’t realise how fast it is. Even on TV, it doesn’t really come over as aggressive or fast as it is. If you come, you’ll be amazed at how good a game it is.”
All the players say that Wheelchair Basketball is one of the best disabled sports out there and more people need to be aware of it.
The Steelers have one more league game coming up on the 24th of March against long time rivals Manchester, who will be looking for blood after the Steelers beat them in the Euro Cup.
