Pararoos hopeful for World Cup spot
The Pararoos have drawn Ukraine, USA and Portugal in Group C in the upcoming Intercontinental Cup, to be played in Spain, in July.
Pararoo Head Coach, Paul Brown, said that he was confident that his players could beat the USA to get the second spot in Group C and qualify for the World Championships.
The final selection camp for the Intercontinental Cup took place in horrendous conditions on the 21st June. Twenty players were brought into camp from around the country and fourteen have been chosen to represent their country.
The team boasts a number of young players and a few seasoned veterans. Brown said “the squad, to be announced next week, has the right mix of younger players that are being developed for the 2016 Paralympics and a good backbone of experience.”
James Turner, from NSW, is one such player and already holds 5 caps for his country. James has represented NSW on a number of occasions and has been in the national program for four years. At 17 years of age James is considered to be one of the bright new sparks that will be there in Rio in 2016.
When asked about his experiences with the national team Turner lamented “It’s a great honour to pull on the jersey and I hope I can do my family, my country and my team proud. I have learnt a lot over the past months in camp, now I just have to make that happen on the field in Barcelona.”
Turner currently plays for Tuncurry Forster Football Club on the North Coast of NSW and has a goal of one day being Captain for the National team and winning a medal at the Paralympics.
Brown, about Turner said “James still has a lot to learn, but he has great speed and a big heart and is definitely on the road to Rio”.
