Rose ready to bloom on London’s Olympic stage

Portobello High School FP Rose Anderson is the sole Scot in famous Australian coach Tom Maher’s initial Great Britain training squad of 20 who will prepare for the Olympics in July.

Now playing for Cardiff side UWIC in the English Women’s first division, Anderson, a former Edinburgh Kool Kat and younger sister of 2006 Commonwealth Games boxing gold medallist Kenny, has made considerable progress this season following her return from college in the United States.

In a recent outing for UWIC Anderson top-scored with 28 points to equal her highest-ever tally for the Welsh side who lead the league. Having played for GB in the Eurobasket Finals in Poland last June, when she was nowhere near match-fit, having returned from her final year in Oklahoma when she was on a rowing scholarship and ineligible for the hoops team, Anderson must surely be in Maher’s plans for London.

But former Edinburgh Kool Kats and Scotland coach Donna Finnie has expressed surprise that neither of the two Scots who are on basketball scholarships at Old Dominion University in Virginia, Marie Buchan (Falkirk Fury) and Becca Allison (Edinburgh Kool Kats) have made the squad, despite their playing for Maher in the GB team at the World University Games in China last year.

Finnie, said: “I’m shocked at Mairi’s omission – she’s been hitting the threes, can handle the ball and led the under-20s in rebounds.”