British men’s water polo coach Eelco Uri has named his final squad of 13 ahead of the LEN European Nations Trophy which kicks off in Manchester tomorrow (Sunday 8 July).

The Dutchman admits he had a tough task picking his final 13 from an extended list of 20, but believes his team is ready for the competition.

The LEN European Nations Trophy is largest international competition held in the UK for more than 10 years and is the first senior European men’s competition entered by a British team since the late 1980s.   

The tournament marks the start of the country’s five-year preparation for the 2012 Olympics where Britain will enter a team for the first time 56 years.

Uri is hesitant to predict how well his team will fare in Manchester, but believes competition for the final 13 spots has made the squad focus their preparations for their biggest test so far.

“The guys are ready,” he said. “It’s difficult to predict the outcome for the team because the level is high and teams tend to fluctuate in performance, but I’d be really pleased if we could make the last eight. Anything above that would be great.

“This is the first time we’ve had the full squad available for selection and so it’s the first time the team has played together in an international competition. It’s a massive experience for all of them.”

The eight-day tournament will allow the British team to see how they rank against their European counterparts as well as providing a series of lessons to learn if the sport is to progress in the run-up to 2012.

“It’s a big step up and the level of play and speed of the ball will be different to what they’ve seen in the past,” explained Uri. “But you can only develop if you compete at a high level.

“We have to remember we’re still in the early stages of building a team and the main focus is London 2012. Whatever happens this week is part of that bigger picture. If we can build on what we do here and learn from our performances it will be good.

“The guys are keen and hungry and I think we’ve definitely got it in us to make a few surprises.

The 13 athletes to represent Great Britain at the LEN European Nations Trophy are:

1. Ed Scott (City of Manchester)
2. Sean Ryder (City of Manchester)
3. Mark Banwell (Cheltenham WPC)
4. Scott Carpenter (Sedgefield WPC / Lancaster City)
5. Craig Figes (CN Metropole / Bristol Central)
6. Andrew Squires (Lancaster City)
7. Alex Parsonage (Cheltenham WPC / Warley Wasps)
8. Tom Curwen (Lancaster City)
9. Rob Parker (Cheltenham WPC)
10. Adam Scholefield (Rotherham Metro)
11. Chris Gilbertson (Sedgefield WPC)
12. Matthew Thresher (Bristol Central)
13. Matthew Birch (Rotherham Metro)

-ENDS-

The LEN European Nations Trophy takes place at the Manchester Aquatics Centre from 8-15 July 2007 and is jointly funded by British Swimming, UK Sport and Manchester City Council.

Day tickets cost as little as £5 per adult (£3 concessions) and can be purchased on the door.
For further details and full programme information, log onto www.manchester2007.com

For more information contact British Swimming media officer Amanda Overend on 07876 652 318 or email amanda.overend@swimming.org 

British Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Open Water in Great Britain.  It is responsible internationally for the high performance representation of the sport. The members of British Swimming are the three Home Countries national governing bodies of England (Amateur Swimming Association), Scotland (Scottish Amateur Swimming Association) and Wales. (Welsh Amateur Swimming Association)  British Swimming seeks to enable its athletes to achieve gold medal success at the Olympics, Paralympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

The LEN European Nations Trophy has been part funded by UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Events Programme, which aims to secure events of strategic importance that deliver a range of lasting benefits. These include economic, social and cultural benefits as well as improving sporting performance by home athletes, encouraging participation and leaving a legacy of facilities and development initiatives. Over 120 sporting events have been staged in the UK through the programme since 1997. More at www.uksport.gov.uk

The LEN European Nations Trophy is part of Manchester City Council's event programme. Media enquiries: Helena Davison, Manchester City Council Press Office 0161 234 3729. For the Council's full calendar of 'Events to listen out for…' the public should call Manchester Visitor Information Centre on 0871 222 8223*, visit www.manchesterlive.co.uk or text 'EVENT' to 60600 for FREE events text alerts/offers - direct to their mobile (subscribers can opt in or out at any time and details/Terms & Conditions can be found at www.eventext.com.
*Calls cost 10p per minute from a BT landline.  Call costs from other providers may vary.

Speedo is the world's leading swimwear brand. Founded in Sydney in 1928 Speedo has over 75 years of heritage and expertise in swimwear and launched the FASTSKIN FSII, the world’s fastest swimsuit, in 2004. Speedo is the Official Supplier to British Swimming and the ASA and provides valuable investment for swimming from grassroots through to elite level.
www.speedo.co.uk