NSW well represented in Pararoos’ World Cup preparations
NSW stars Ben Roche, Taj Lynch, Daniel Campbell, Timothy Blowes, Connor Marsh, Ben Atkins, Benjamin Sutton and Jack Williams have all been selected by Pararoos Head Coach Kai Lammert as part of his 20-player squad as the Pararoos continue preparations for this month’s 2022 IPCPF Men’s World Cup.
Taking place at the Australian Institute of Sport, alongside fellow national team the ParaMatildas for the first time, the three-day camp will grant squad members the opportunity to impress ahead of the highly anticipated tournament which kicks off in Spain on April 27.
Lammert is ready to make the most of the squad’s chance to gather once again ahead of their first international action in two years.
“We have a mixture of young talent and experienced players and I am confident we will have a very exciting team going to Spain in April,” Lammert said.
“Our objectives for this camp at the AIS are to select 14 players representing Australia at the World Cup, and to fine tune our playing style and tactics going into the tournament.
“Off the field we have the first camp with the ParaMatildas, and Kelly Stirton and I will run a workshop on combined core values and mental health.”
The Pararoos are Australia’s men’s national team for footballers with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and symptoms of stroke.
CP football is a seven-a-side sport with smaller goals, 30-minute halves and no offside, where players are classed as FT1, FT2 and FT3 depending on how their disability affects a player, with at least one FT1 player and a maximum of one FT3 player required at all times.
In their 10th appearance at the world championships, the Pararoos will face world number four, Iran and world number six, the United States, in Group C of the IFCPF Men’s World Cup.
Following the conclusion of this week’s camp, the squad will continue to prepare at their local Pararoos Performance Centres and respective clubs, before gathering for pre-departure camp in Sydney on April 23.
There, the squad will participate in two friendlies before heading to Europe on April 26.
“The boys will be well prepared, and we are all we are all very much looking forward to the tournament,” Lammert said.
Supporters can follow the journey of the Pararoos to the IFCPF Men’s World Cup through their website and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Be a part of the Pararoos journey
Australians can get behind the Pararoos’ World Cup campaign by making a tax-deductible donation to the team here.
Every donation over $2 made to the squad is tax-deductible and will go directly to supporting national team training camps, coaching, sports science, and tournament costs to ensure that the Pararoos have the best possible chance to represent Australia on the world stage.
PARAROOS SQUAD | TRAINING CAMP | 1-3 APRIL 2022
KIT NO. | FIRST NAME | SURNAME | AGE | CITY, STATE | CLASSIFICATION |
1 (GK) | Christopher | BARTY | 33 | Perth, WA | FT2 |
2 | Ben | ROCHE | 33 | Lennox Head, NSW | FT2 |
3 | Taj | LYNCH | 21 | Sydney, NSW | FT2 |
4 | Connor | BUNCE | 18 | Albany, WA | FT2 |
5 | Daniel | CAMPBELL | 19 | Sydney, NSW | FT3 |
6 | Timothy | BLOWES | 19 | Sydney, NSW | FT2 |
7 | David | BARBER | 42 | Rockhampton, QLD | FT2 |
8 | Connor | MARSH | 25 | Sydney, NSW | FT2 |
9 | Ben | ATKINS | 30 | Sydney, NSW | FT2 |
10 | Joshua | BEEKES | 18 | Bendigo, VIC | FT3 |
11 | Jeremy | BOYCE | 18 | Budgewoi, NSW | FT3 |
12 (GK) | Cosimo | CIRILLO | 20 | Melbourne VIC | FT1 |
13 | Alessandro | LA VERGHETTA | 21 | Perth, WA | FT2 |
14 | Luc | LAUNDER | 16 | Canberra, ACT | FT2 |
15 | Benjamin | SUTTON | 28 | Sydney, NSW | FT1 |
16 | Jack | WILLIAMS | 27 | Sydney, NSW | FT2 |
17 | Noah | BREMMER-BELL | 16 | Perth, WA | TBC |
18 | Christian | TSANGAS | 25 | Melbourne VIC | FT1 |
19 | Christian | BITSIKAS | 17 | Melbourne, VIC | FT2 |
20 | Joshua | BEEKES | 18 | Bendigo, VIC | FT3 |