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World Champion Ben Quilter
will be part of a five-strong British squad that will compete
at the 2011 IBSA VI World Games in Antalya, Turkey which runs
from Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 April.
IBSA’s multi-sport bi-annual
showpiece, which will be held at Dilek Sabanci Sports Facilities,
is a good marker for the 2012 Paralympics with international judoka
competing for IBSA ranking points.
The World Games attracts
the same standard of competitors as the stand alone VI World Championships
with judo seen as one of the flagship events at the former event.
IBSA’s World Games will also feature sports such as athletics,
swimming, powerlifting and football.
Lining up for Britain at under 60kg
will be Ben Quilter who last year became the country’s first VI
World Champion for 12 years.
Darren Harris sees action
at under 66kg while Daniel Powell fights in the under 81kg category.
2010 VI world silver medallist
Joe Ingram will compete in the under 100kg category.
VI talent search product
Lesley Reid, who made a name for herself by taking bronze at the
World Championships last year, will fight at over 70kg.
Ben Quilter said: “Training
has gone well, I’ve felt good in practice and I’m really looking
forward to competing now.
“With the camps at Dartford
I think other nations have seen how well our programme is working
and why we’ve managed to be successful at events such as the World
Championships.
The Brighton judoka added:
“It’s very different to be going into an event like this as the
reigning world champion but it gives me confidence.
“Other countries will also
be competing for ranking points which is fortunately something
I don’t have to think about as we qualify for the 2012 Paralympics
as home nation athletes.”
The team will be led by
Paralympic Programme Manager Dave Sanders who’ll be joined by
coaches Jean-Paul Bell and Vicki Dunn.
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