Experience and New Talent in Scottish Basketball Squads
Kyle Jimenez and Fraser Malcolm will participate in their third Commonwealth Games after being selected for Team Scotland's 3x3 basketball squad. Additionally, the first Scottish wheelchair basketball teams to compete at the event have been confirmed.
Completing the men's 3x3 squad are Owen McCormack and Skyler White.
Claire Paxton and Hannah Robb will make their second consecutive Games appearance after competing at Birmingham 2022. They are joined by Games debutants Kirsty Brown and Ella Doherty in the Scotland women's 3x3 team.
For the wheelchair basketball events, the women's team includes Kayli English, Robyn Love, Lea Smith, and Paralympian Jodie Waite. The men's wheelchair squad features former England player Tyler Baines, 47-year-old Commonwealth Games debutant Ross McConnell, Finlay Erskine, and Shayne Humphries.
Robyn Love will also serve as coach for the women's wheelchair team, while Mark Stevenson will lead the men's wheelchair side. Gareth Murray, former head coach of the Caledonia Gladiators, will coach the men's 3x3 team. Donnie MacDonald, head coach of the Caledonia Gladiators women's team, will oversee the Scotland women's 3x3 squad for a second successive Games.
Love brings extensive experience to both playing and coaching roles for Glasgow. Stevenson will lead the men's wheelchair 3x3 team at his first Commonwealth Games, drawing on his experience as Head Coach of Lothian Phoenix and lead for the Scottish National Academy.
In the running game, Donnie MacDonald will lead the women's 3x3 team, having coached Scotland at Birmingham 2022 and currently serving as Caledonia Gladiators women's Head Coach. Gareth Murray will lead the men's 3x3 team, bringing Commonwealth Games experience from 2006 and 2018 as a player, and from Birmingham 2022 as both player and coach.
Jimenez and Malcolm narrowly missed out on a bronze medal four years ago. Jimenez said:
"We are all super excited that we are going to be on home soil with our friends and family there. My favourite thing is putting on my Scotland jersey and hearing the anthem before the game so maybe winning a medal with friends and family there would be top level."
Paxton commented on the competition:
"The competition is going to be harder. We want to represent ourselves well and enjoy the experience. The freedom of the game allows you just to go out there, be fearless and play hard. You never know what could happen."
'Top of the top for us'
Finlay Erskine expressed the significance of competing at this level:
"It's the highest level that we can play wheelchair basketball for Scotland so this is really the top of the top for us. It's a really big step in my career and it's going to be amazing."
In the running game, 12 teams will participate in both men's and women's events, while eight teams will compete in both the wheelchair men's and women's events.
Team Scotland chef de mission Elinor Middlemiss MBE added:
"It is great to see Scotland represented in both disciplines in the men's and women's competitions. The atmosphere in the SEC should be electric and I am sure our selected athletes are going to put on a great show and wear the jersey with pride and passion."
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