Bt Confirms British Sledge Hockey Support

BT has announced a new partnership with the British Sledge Hockey Association that will see the telecoms firm support the British team’s bid to compete at the Paralympic Games in Sochi next year, 

The side will compete at a qualifying tournament in Turin later this month where they will compete in a six-team tournament against Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea and Sweden. 

The three top-ranked teams at the end of the competition will then be invited to the Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

As a long-time supporter of the Paralympic movement in the UK, BT is supporting one of its BT Ambassadors, Nathan Stephens, and his British Sledge Hockey teammates, in their attempt to qualify for the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games.     

Nathan competed in the javelin competition at the London 2012 Paralympic Summer Games and has been part of the BT Ambassador Programme for four years.

As part of the deal BT will provide a grant ‘to lessen the funding gap in the team’s preparations’.

John Neville, the British Sledge Hockey Association’s elite programme director, said: ‘The support from BT and all our corporate partners such as Planet Ice and Peter Harrison Foundation means that we can travel to Italy and give ourselves the best chance of making it to the Winter Paralympic Games.’

Stephens added: ‘BT has supported me for the past four years and when I told them that I really needed their help, they came good again.’

‘They have been involved with Paralympic sport for over 20 years and their support to me and my teammates means that we can go to Turin and try and secure a place at the Winter Paralympic Games. As a team we are in the best shape of our lives and we will be doing everything in our power to qualify for Sochi.’