If you like fast-paced sports, then Powerchair Football offers plenty of thrills. Played indoors on a basketball-sized court, two teams of four use specially adapted electric wheelchairs to control and strike an oversized football, with the aim of outmanoeuvring their opponents and scoring goals.
England’s Powerchair Football team – best known as the Para Lions – last lifted the European Powerchair Football Association (EPFA) Nations Cup trophy in 2019 and return this September in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, determined to retain their crown.
“This is the best England squad I've ever been a part of,” says Jon Bolding, the team captain. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to defend our title. I know how it feels to win – and I want to feel that again this month.
“I believe in every single player on this team, and sometimes, winning a trophy can really change how you see yourself as an athlete,” he says.
Living the dream
For Jon, the journey to this point has been transformative. “This sport has changed my life in so many ways – not just as an athlete, but as a person,” he says. “The people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had – it’s been incredible. When I started playing in 2002, there wasn’t even an England team. The sport was just getting off the ground in this country, and back then, the dream was simply to play locally with your mates.
“But as the sport grew, and the England team was formed, and then the FA got involved, that dream changed – it became about playing for your country. I’ve been lucky enough to do that several times now, and honestly, this tournament feels just as exciting as the very first time I pulled on the England shirt.”
With a mix of seasoned talent and hungry new faces, England’s Powerchair squad has every reason to be optimistic. The stakes are high, the competition fierce – but the Para Lions are ready.
Fans can follow England’s journey and watch every match live on the European PFA YouTube channel throughout the tournament, from 19-24 September.
