Paralympic Games: Munn still feels the passion in sixth Games

Published on 30/08/2012 00:00

GREAT Britain’s Simon Munn goes into his sixth Paralympic Games expecting the toughest test yet in the wheelchair basketball.

The 44-year-old has played in every Paralympics since Barcelona in 1992, and believes the standard in London is the highest he has ever seen.

“There are probably eight to ten of the 12 teams you could just put into a lottery bowl and pull out who will win gold, silver and bronze,” Munn said. “But if it’s not worth winning then why go out there? It’s got to mean something; it has got to be tough.”

Munn, who took up wheelchair basketball after losing a leg in a railway accident, can scarcely believe how far the sport has come, both in this country and abroad, since he played in the “amateurish” set-up of the 1992 Paralympics. “Now it’s completely professional. The support staff – we have physios, mechanics, three or four coaches as well as regional coaches and an office full of staff to sort everything out. The funding we’ve had from the lottery to make all that possible has been unbelievable.”

Munn is probably at his last Paralympics, but insists retirement is not on his mind. He said: “I still love playing and I love playing for Great Britain.”