Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th August saw Scotland’s Under 23 Wheelchair Basketball squad face off against Wales and Northern Ireland in the Celtic Cup. After a hard-fought four games, Scotland came away with a well-earned gold.
Tayside residents Gemma Lumsdaine and Ben Leitch were part of this triumphant win for Scotland.
After a dedicated period of strength and conditioning work, Gemma maintained her established place within Scotland’s team. Gemma dedicates her spare time to progressing the sport of wheelchair basketball and recently featured on the Young Women’s Movement 30 under 30 in Scotland.
When asked about their Celtic Cup victory, Gemma said “Playing as part of the Scotland U23 squad was an incredible privilege. Each game was tough but we worked hard and played as a team.”
Ben Leitch triumphantly earned himself a spot as a reserve for this year’s Celtic Cup squad at the age of 14. Ben answered his country’s call when a last minute injury left the squad down a player. A fantastic opportunity and experience for Ben.
Both Gemma and Ben will be competing for their country at the British Wheelchair Basketball Championships alongside Tayside wheelchair basketballers Murran Mackay and Blair Marshall. Ben and Gemma will also feature in the highly anticipated School Games this September in Loughborough.