Abdi Jama, Jon Hall, Peter Finbow, Laurie Williams, Debee Steel and Louise Sugden, members of Britain's team, performed a demonstration before teaming up with Channel 4's That Paralympic Show presenters Rick Edwards and Iwan Thomas.

They were joined by former British rugby league player and Strictly Come Dancing competitor, Martin Offiah, ex-England and Liverpool defender, Neil Ruddock and TV personalities Jennifer Ellison, from Brookside, and Tina Malone from Shameless, for an exhibition game in front of the shopping public.

"Having been involved in Dancing on Wheels and playing basketball before, I was really keen to try out wheelchair basketball and it's been a great experience," said Offiah, who was capped 33 times by Britain.

"The BT Paralympic World Cup looks set to be a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of Paralympic sport and I wish all the athletes the best of luck."


The Paralympic World Cup is seen as an important stepping stone towards London 2012. 

"The BT Paralympic World Cup provides a significant stepping stone for many elite-level athletes aiming to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and beyond," said Sebastian Coe, the chairman of London 2012.

"It is a place where they can raise their game and test themselves against strong international opposition, providing them with vital preparation.

"The BT Paralympic World Cup is a great showcase of sport for spectators and will give them a taster of the excitement that they will witness during the London 2012 Games."

The event will be shown on Channel 4, the host broadcasters for next year's Paralympics, for the first time.

"The BT Paralympic World Cup is an exciting opportunity for Channel 4 as we set in motion our bold and comprehensive coverage plans for Paralympic sport," said Deborah Poulton, sports editor for Channel 4's Paralympics 2012 programming

"In the run up to 2012 we'll give this important event more hours of TV coverage than ever before, a bold and fresh presenting team, and innovative graphic solutions which aim to debunk Paralympic sport in a way previously unseen."

Among the stars competing is Oscar Pistorius, who is hoping to represent South Africa at both the Olympics and Paralympics next year.·

"The BT Paralympic World Cup gets stronger every year and reinforces the power of Paralympic sport to inspire, connect and engage people of all ages and backgrounds," said Suzi Williams, the BT Group Marketing and Brand.

"For the world's elite athletes competing in Manchester this year, the event is a major step on their road to 2012 and we're looking forwards to seeing some fantastic performances on the track, court and in the pool."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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