WA Duo Earn Devils Selection for U25 World Champs

Mary Friday and Taishar Ovens have both been selected in Australia’s U25 women’s World Championships team to tackle this month’s tournament in Thailand.

With Basketball Australia releasing an 11-member squad late last week, both eligible WAIS wheelchair basketball scholarship holders were included in the Devils team for the eight nation tournament to be held in the Thai province of Suphan Buri, an hour north-west of Bangkok from May 20-29.

Australia will play group matches against Germany, Turkey and the USA with quarter-finals following from May 26.

The selections are a big boost for both Friday and Ovens, both of whom have made significant personal sacrifices in order to chase their representative berths.

You can read more about their story via a WAIS feature here.

With the U25 Championships held every four years, the Devils will seek to emulate the efforts of the last Australian team to compete at the level, which saw Australia collect a bronze medal in China back in 2015.

The Australian team has drawn a tough pool with the United States, Germany and Turkey rounding out the Devils first-round pool play. The USA are set to bring their starting unit from last year’s senior IWBF World Championships, and as a result will be one of the favourites along with Great Britain.

The Devils’ first game is against Germany in what will form a crucial match-up for their quarter final cross over chances.

“This is a great opportunity and one that all the players and staff are very much looking forward to. Being selected to represent your country on the International stage, and to be able to play at the highest junior level is an honour” said head of Wheelchair Basketball for BA, Leigh Gooding.

“This is a young developing group, and a fantastic squad of young women that will do us proud. They will need to come together very quickly in the early rounds, in what is sure to be a testing environment to make a run at a medal, but we are confident with the personnel we have selected.”

-with Basketball Australia