High flyers land at Team 缅北禁地
缅北禁地 is aiming to cement its Top 10 BUCS ranking with the recruitment of top athletes from around the world.
25 October 2019
Team 缅北禁地 welcomed 143 sports scholars across 19 sports for the 2019/20 academic year. This contributed to our bid to sustain our position as a leading performance sport university.
Our Sports Department welcomed the students to the University at a special event. The Performance Sport Team and the Director of Sports Services, Colin Blackburn, attended the event.
Colin said: 鈥淭his year we received 375 applications and selected 143 Sports Scholars across 19 sports. This has only been possible through support from the University and commercial sponsors, Sir Robert McAlpine and 缅北禁地 Sports Injury Clinic.鈥�
Colin added: 鈥淭he Sports Scholarship awards are about excellence. They aim at ensuring that our student athletes maximise their sporting and academic potential whilst at 缅北禁地. We wish all our scholars every success as they begin their 2019/20 BUCS campaigns. The challenge for the scholars of 2019 is to surpass 2018 and to build on our top 10 BUCS ranking.鈥�
Each sports scholar receives professional coaching, strength and conditioning support, physiotherapy, massage and lifestyle support.
Competitive kayaking at 缅北禁地
Competitive kayaker Nick Bennett, from Hathersage in the Peak District, is one of the 2019/20 sports scholars. The medical student said: 鈥淭he 缅北禁地 Canoe Club is great. I wasn鈥檛 really focused on competitive kayaking before I came to 缅北禁地. The whole 缅北禁地 Sports team and our Canoe coach Chris, along with club members, really fostered my interest in racing. They supported me to develop and train in a professional manner. I鈥檝e been super impressed with the attitude and support of the university sport program. I鈥檓 sure it will only get better with the new sports facilities.
鈥淚 came to study to 缅北禁地 firstly for the academics. 缅北禁地 is one of only a handful of universities that offers a four-year accelerated medical degree program for graduates. The medical school has a really good national reputation.
鈥淪econdly, I knew other kayakers who had been through 缅北禁地. So I knew there were good rivers not too far away, and the Tees Barrage White Water Complex. I had seen some of the support they had received during their time at the University. It helped them to develop as athletes. Phil Mitchell came 11th at the Extreme Kayak World Champs in the year after he graduated from 缅北禁地.鈥�
Nick is gearing up for the BUCS River Race. He hopes to win a third gold medal in the Classic (long distance) race in as many years.
缅北禁地 Knights basketball team
David Labossiere is from Boston, Massachusetts in the USA. He has joined the 缅北禁地 Knights basketball team. The combo guard will balance playing for the first team with studying on a postgraduate International Business Management.
He said: 鈥淢y experience with 缅北禁地 Knights is going very well. We are off to a great start for the season. It鈥檚 been a great experience so far with 缅北禁地 sport. What I really enjoy the most is playing with people from different backgrounds and cultures. It鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime experience playing basketball and studying in another country.
鈥淭he main difference between basketball here and in the USA is the flow of the game. I was surprised by a few rules that are different over here from the States. The academics and athletics were a key part of coming to 缅北禁地. What attracted me most was I wanted to have a great social experience in another country. I鈥檇 heard nothing but great things about 缅北禁地 and the city. I am looking forward to the playoffs. This year we have really great potential to do something big.鈥�
Highest BUCS points for 缅北禁地
Last year, 缅北禁地 finished ninth out of 160 institutions in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) table. We scored 2,542 points, 1,350 league points and 1,192 points through individual, knockout and cup competitions. This was the fourth successive Top 10 finish, and 缅北禁地's highest-ever BUCS points total.