Britain secured the title last year by beating Paralympic champions Australia in the group stages and then defeating Italy emphatically in the final.

However, the team crashed back down to earth just a few weeks later at the 2010 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Birmingham when they suffered a shock defeat against France, who they will be looking for revenge against at the Manchester Regional Arena.

The BT Paralympic World Cup, which is taking place from May 23-28, will provide Britain's men with a crucial test ahead of the European Championships in Israel in September and men's head coach Murray Treseder is excited to get the team back together in Manchester.

"We are looking forward to having the opportunity to defend our title from last year," he said.

"It is vital for our preparation in the run up to the European Championships in Israel this September as it will be the first time the team has come back together properly to compete since the World Championships in July last year and it will be good to get together."

Brazil are competing in the competition for the first time and will be looking to familiarise themselves with the training facilities in Manchester.

They will be basing themselves in the city ahead of the London 2012 Paralympic Games just four years before the world's attention turns to Rio for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.

Rosa Battle, the Assistant Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: "Following our announcement last year that the Brazilian Paralympic Team will train in Manchester ahead of London 2012, we have been working hard alongside the team to make the necessary preparations.

"Manchester's reputation as a leading global sports city continues to grow and this partnership, along with our other pre-Olympic and Paralympic Games training camps is a further sign of this status.

"We look forward to welcoming Brazil and the other nations to Manchester for the BT Paralympic World Cup."

Meanwhile, the women's tournament will see Britain looking to improve on their fourth place finish last year, as they compete against an extremely strong field featuring Canada, Germany and Japan.

Britain women's coach Garry Peel said: "The BT Paralympic World Cup is always a significant tournament in the GB women's calendar, this year even more so as we look to build on the progress we made last year moving up the world rankings.

"Playing against international teams such as Germany and Canada, who are second and third in the world respectively, gives us the standard of competition we need to continue to develop and reach the potential as a squad in the run up to London 2012."

International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) President Maureen Orchard added she believes this year's BT Paralympic World Cup is a great opportunity for all teams ahead of the upcoming qualification tournaments.

Orchard said: "The IWBF expects the teams invited to the BT Paralympic World Cup to use this opportunity to prepare for the upcoming qualification tournaments in their zones.

"This event allows them to test their progress against the teams they must defeat if they hope to qualify for London and ultimately a medal in London 2012."

The BT Paralympic World Cup, the largest annual international multi-sport competition in elite disability sport, will see Manchester staging the event for the seventh consecutive year and hosting elite international athletes competing across wheelchair basketball, athletics and swimming.

In addition, boccia and sitting volleyball will be represented for the first time, with international matches staged during the competition, while London 2012 Paralympic games host broadcaster Channel 4 will be providing coverage of the competition for the first time, having won the rights to the event from the BBC.

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