Hitting new heights

3:20pm Wed Nov 02, 2011

The wheelchair basketball career of Liam Hassell reached new heights when his East Midlands team won gold at the Lord’s Taverners National Junior Championships.

Southwell Minster School pupil Liam, 12, and his team mates from across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire formed part of the under-15 team that triumphed at the Stoke Mandeville Paralympic Stadium, Aylesbury.

The first match saw the East Midlands brush aside London with a convincing 26-8 win.

The second game was a tighter affair against West Midlands. East Midlands went in at half-time one basket down, but a string of baskets with no reply in the second half saw them turn the result around, winning 16-12.

The youngsters followed their opening two victories with a 25-8 win over Yorkshire to finish top of their pool.

Their impressive form continued as they brushed aside the South East 29-14 in the quarter-finals and beat the East team in the semis 19-4 to progress to the final and a repeat of last year’s gold medal encounter with Northern Ireland.

In the final, four second-half baskets from Liam, who plays for Newark Jaguars, ensured the East Midlands ran out victorious 20-16, winning gold for the third year in succesion.