LAST COMMONWEALTH GAMES SPOTS ON LINE

By Mark Woods
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Updated: April 6, 2022

Fraser Malcolm believes Scotland’s basketballers can qualify for the Commonwealth Games tonight – despite playing the shortened version of the sport for the very first time.

With the 3×3 format on show in Birmingham this summer, the Scots take on Northern Ireland and Wales in Largs with the last remaining spots in the men’s and women’s fields up for grabs.

And Malcolm, who was part of the men’s run to the semi-finals at Gold Coast 2018 in the traditional five-on-five game, admits it’s been a quick learning curve to get up to speed.

The Glasgow Rocks forward said: “Obviously, we’re in the middle of a season right now.

“So I wouldn’t say it’s been anyone’s primary focus. we’ve had to have training sessions to get used to the different balls, different rules, and different tactics because it’s a much faster paced game.”

With a four-man squad all drawn from the Rocks including player-coach Gareth Murray, the Scotsmen will start as huge favourites over the amateur Welsh and Northern Irish line-ups. “We’ve got that cohesion already, just because we’re all playing and training” Malcolm underlined.

While Scotland’s women will also be tipped to qualify with a team that is set to include London Lions’ American-born star Kennedy Leonard and Great Britain international Hannah Robb as well as Caledonia Pride duo Sian Phillips and Erin McGarrachan.

“We’ve all played together before apart from Kennedy,” McGarrachan said. “She’s really the only new one coming into the group but I’m she’s such a professional player that she’ll fit in nicely.”

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