May 27 - Matt Sealy is in confident mood ahead of the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

Matt Sealy

The Maidenhead wheelchair basketball star is part of the Great Britain squad at the annual event, which started on Tuesday (May 25)and concludes on Sunday (May 30).

The World Cup is one of a number of tournaments in the build-up to the showpiece World Championships in Birmingham in July.

"We've got every chance of winning," said the 18-year-old former Sir William Ramsey School pupil.

"There's some tough teams at the event though. Italy are the European champions and Canada won silver at the Paralympics.

"It's going to be a tough competition, but a good warm-up for the Worlds."

GB kick-off against Italy today (May 27), then play Canada tomorrow (May 28) and Australia on Saturday (May 29)with the finals on Sunday (May 30).

Sealy says the tournament is all part of team GB's preparations for the World Championships.

"The biggest event is the Worlds," he told the Advertiser. "We fly to the US next week for a couple of friendly tournaments in Atlanta and Alabama and that's going to be biggest test ahead of the Worlds.

"We've got a few things to work towards and we've got a bit of gelling to do as a team because some guys play abroad and the rest of us are split up at clubs across the UK."

For the rest of this story see this week's Advertiser. (The End)