Basketball Australia is delighted to announce the athletes who have been selected to play for the Boomerangs and the Pearls at the upcoming Virtus Global Games in France.
Taking place over a week between 4-10 June in Vichy, The Global Games is the world's largest elite sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment, with thousands of athletes from Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania performing across ten main sports.
This year will see three Australian teams compete, with one men’s and two women’s 3x3 squads set to pull on the green and gold.
For the Boomerangs there’s a number of seasoned campaigners, as well as rising stars including, debutant Jack Gilbertson, Jack Innella, Matt Farrar, James Doyle and Brayden Cowell.
Zac Georg-Dent – who will captain the Boomerangs – was part of the successful South Australian team who took home their fifth consecutive title at the Ivor Burge National Champs this year in Geelong, while Gilbertson was named the MVP of the tournament and Innella took home the honours of best Defensive Player.
For the Pearls, who will field two 3x3 women’s sides, nine members of their gold and bronze winning team from the 2022 Oceania Asia Games return, including the 2023 Ivor Burge MVP, Victoria’s Montana Haag and New South Wales’, Mackenzie Wills, who was named the Defensive player of the tournament.
Julia Walsh, Head Coach of the Boomerangs, said a thorough process had been undertaken to select the team.
“The Boomerangs have gone through a rigorous selection process, and we have a strong 12-person team – it really is a testament to our state coaches who have lifted the quality of the Ivor Burge National Competition and the athletes participating,” Walsh said.
“Based on the previous INAS Global Games we had a vision of the style of play, the players required and training we wanted to implement, so the coaching team are looking forward to bringing this team to the championships.
“We believe they will be competitive and experienced going into the Global Games in France.”
The Global Games were last held in Australia in 2019 and saw the Boomerangs score silver and Australia’s women’s teams both medal with a silver and bronze.
Head coach of the Pearls, Larry Davidson, said the women’s teams had a balanced mix of players.
“We are very fortunate to take two teams of five for the 3X3 Virtus Global games in Vichy France,” he said.
“Even though all of our players have pulled on the green and gold before, we have a good combination of experience and youth to blend within the two teams.
“Expectations are high coming off an intense National Championships where the teams were able to battle it out in the 3x3 format for the first time in Australia.”
For more information about the Virtus Global Games, click here.
Australian Pearls Team Brittany Anderson Taylor Anderson Jasmin Funnell Montana Haag Madilyn Janssen Jessica McCulloch Evangeline Patterson Louwanna Sheridan Mackenzie Wills Mia Wilson Reserves: Rachael Potter (Victoria)
Australian Boomerangs Team Brayden Cowell Frazer Dawber Jake De La Motte James Doyle Matthew Farrar Jack Gilbertson Keenan Georg-Dent Zachary Georg-Dent Jack Innella Brad Kinross Justin Koenig James Myers
You can play a role!
You can play a role in the teams’ journey!
Both the Boomerangs and the Pearls will be fundraising in the lead up to the tournament and every dollar counts.
Whether you’re a sponsor or simply making a personal donation, if you’re able to assist either team on the road to France, please see below for ways you can support:
Pearls and Boomerangs: Donations can be made through the Australian Sports Foundation (Basketball Australia) https://asf.org.au/donate/basketball-australia *
Please note you must write Boomerangs or Pearls in the box for it to be allocated accordingly Boomerangs: Go fund me page: https://gofund.me/dfb5cbf6
