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Wheelchair basketball: First ever Women's Premier League being launched

Media caption,

Women's wheelchair basketball: Meet some of the stars

British wheelchair basketball is getting its first ever Women's Premier League.

It will also be the first of its kind in the world.

It's being launched by British Wheelchair Basketball, the organisation in charge of the sport in the UK, and will be the very first professional para-sport league in the country.

When is it happening?

The first season will start at the end of this year, running from December 2021 to May 2022.

British player, Amy Conroy, hopes it will inspire more people to try the sport for themselves.

She said: "The sport is fast-paced and high-octane, and I can't wait for more people to be able to watch us in action."

Great Britain's women are currently ranked second in the world after winning silver at the 2018 World Championships and the 2019 European Championships.

They've also qualified for the Tokyo Paralympics later this year.

The introduction of the Women's Premier League is massive for the sport and for us as players. Historically there has been a bit of a gap in elite level competition for female players so I'm absolutely thrilled that British Wheelchair Basketball are ensuring we have equal opportunity to develop and flourish.

— Amy Conroy, Wheelchair Basketball player for Great Britain
Media caption,

Sophie Carrigill: 'I want more kids playing wheelchair basketball'

British Wheelchair Basketball said: "The league will provide incredible opportunities for elite female talent, both in the UK and internationally and we expect the teams to attract the best players in the world."

The organisation will also be starting High-Performance Partnerships at four UK universities - Cardiff Metropolitan University, Loughborough University, University of East London, University of Worcester - to develop talent in the sport.

Each will also become home to a Women's Premier League team.