BasketballAN ELATED Suffolk athlete has told of his joy at winning a place in the British wheelchair basketball team for the European Championships this month.

Basketball

AN ELATED Suffolk athlete has told of his joy at winning a place in the British wheelchair basketball team for the European Championships this month.

Hugh Anderson, of Culford, near Bury St Edmunds, has earned himself a ticket to Istanbul to join the Great Britain Under-23 team.

The young player, whose passion for the game started with the Bury Bombers wheelchair basketball team, trains eight hours a day - enjoying the generously donated use of the Culford School gym near his home.

The 21-year-old sportsman, who is barely able to walk due to a condition known as arthgrypofis, said: “After the Bury Bombers I just went from there. I played for a team in Cambridge and now I am playing in a team in Sheffield where I am studying IT. The game is very similar to the able-bodied game but it is more technical and skilled.

“The GB team has won the Under-23 title in the last two European Championships so we have a strong team and a good chance of winning.”

With his father Barry being a senior hockey referee and his mother Jill coaching the Bury Bombers, Hugh has a strong sporting background.

However, Hugh's parents' sporting ambitions for him run to more than just family pride. Doctors told the Andersons their son must remain fit or his condition would significantly worsen.

The family is looking for sponsorship to help pay for a special wheelchair, which costs £2,500. Anyone who can help should call Hugh on 07736 129 687.

The European Championship runs from August 28 to September 4. The Great Britain team will fly out on August 25 to acclimatise to the conditions.