East Ryde wheelchair basketballer Grant Mizens is heading to Manchester for the Paralympic World Cup, an invitation-only tournament with Australia going up against Britain, the US and Italy.

The tournament, which begins on May 25, will prepare the Australian Rollers for the more prestigious world championships in Birmingham in July.

Mizens said he hoped Australia could clinch a world title for the first time, which would complete the 33-year-old's impressive trophy haul.

The Rollers put in a solid performances in the Asia/Oceania group qualifying round last November in Dandenong.

They topped their group ahead of Japan and South Korea.

While Mizens admitted that nothing could compare to winning the gold medal in the Beijing Paralympics in 2008, he is confident Australia could capture the world championships.

"The Paralympics is the jewel in the crown, it's the pinnacle, but hopefully we can really get the world title."

Mizens juggles full-time work as an investment analyst with MLC, spending time with his wife and son and training up to 30 hours a week.

With the National Wheelchair Basketball League set to tip off in four weeks, Mizens will also have to fit in time to play for the Wollongong Roller Hawks.

He said he was lucky to be surrounded by very understanding people.

"I'm lucky to have a boss who allows me to go off to tournaments and train so often. It's certainly not the norm and it's something I would not get at another firm," he said.

He said he was not paid by the Roller Hawks and was one of the minority in the league who were employed full-time.

While Mizens has not yet decided whether he will compete in the London Paralympics in 2012, he finds it hard to leave a side that has largely stuck together since 2004.

"After the disappointment of losing the final at the Athens Games in 2004, the core of the team stuck together, we worked our guts out and it made our victory in Beijing extra special."

"London is very tempting, we would be defending our gold medal it's a real appealing challenge, but at the same time that's a long way away.

"It depends on how the body holds up and whether that fire is still there, that desire to compete." (The End)