France women’s team head to the 2019 Women’s European Championship in Rotterdam with a very different look to the team that finished eighth in the 2018 World Championships last year in Hamburg.

Under the leadership of a new coach, Sandra Cleaux, the team sees four changes in a bid to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

France stalwarts and the experienced duo Fabienne Saint Omer-Delepine and Agnes Glemp-Etavard both step a side, with youngsters Loeiza Vari Le Roux and Lisa Clary coming into the squad. Whilst Valerie Ita and Florence Doumesche-Guedoun are the other two that return to the France side after both being absent from the World Championships team.

The European Championship will be France’s Head Coach Sandra Cléaux’s first time coaching the French women’s senior team at a major international tournament, after coaching France’s U25 Team at last year’s Women’s U25 European Championship.

Looking ahead to the tournament, Sandra Cleaux said:

“The French team has been fully restructing for three years. We are trying to renew our workforce by gradually rejuvenating the group. Our alumni give way to young players of the future who need to gain experience.

“The European level has risen considerably in recent years with the results of Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany at the last World Championships in Hamburg. Spain have also raised its level which promises, we hope, a good fight for qualification to the next Paralympic Games. This qualification is an important step for a group like ours where each major international competition allows our players to confront the best of world basketball.”

Team Roster

Vest Number	Name	Classification	Age
4	Sandrella Awad	1	35
5	Oumy Fall	2.5	36
6	Grace Wembolua	4	23
7	Florence Doumesche-Guedoun	1	42
8	Loeiza Vari Le Roux	1	20
9	Lisa Clary	2.5	21
10	Anne-Sophie Rubler	2	30
11	Valeria Ita	2	38
12	Solenn Thieurmel	4.5	28
13	Annabelle Picut Alixe	3	38
14	Marianne Buso	4.5	27
15	Angelique Pichon	4.5	40