University of Stirling 3×3 wheelchair basketballer Shayne Humphries has come back to campus bearing a silver medal after the FISU World University Games this summer, in which he helped GB Students win their first ever para medal.
Shayne, who is doing a Bsc in Sport and Exercise Science joined the University last year as a sports scholar and was born with a hereditary muscle condition which led him to playing wheelchair basketball at the age of 11 after attending a parasports festival in his hometown of Dundee.
Shayne travelled to Rhine-Ruhr, Germany with his teammates Alex Marshall-Wilson (Loughborough University), William Bishop (Cardiff Metropolitan University) and James Hazell (University of Nottingham). They fought hard to win 2 out of the 3 group games beating both hosts Germany and Bulgaria before knocking out Brazil in their quarterfinal game. They were met by the United States in the semi finals and sent them packing as they advanced to the finals in a tough battle against the favourites Spain, in which they narrowly lost by 3 points 11-8.
David Bond, Director of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Congratulations to Shayne and GB Students on a brilliant performance at the FISU World University Games. To win a silver medal is a fantastic achievement, and we are all incredibly proud.
“Having returned to campus for the new semester, Shayne is working hard in training and competition as he enters an exciting 12 months which will hopefully see him continue to represent his country on the international stage.”
With the start of the new semester, Shayne returned to campus and had this to say about his experience at the FISU World University Games:
“We knew it was going to be a tough game against Spain in the final, but we gave them a good fight. Considering the level they play at, we did really well. The atmosphere was amazing – it was completely full. I’d never experienced a crowd like that in my life – it was fun.”
Shayne understands that this is only the beginning as he hopes he will be put in contention for Team Scotland at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and also Great Britain’s Under-23 team for the upcoming European Championships following his performances in the summer.
“Next year, there are two things for me. There’s the Under-23 European Championships and then the Commonwealth Games – they are the big ones.
“It’s going to be challenging to get selected – as there’s obviously a lot of players trying to get the few spots available – and I think I have a solid chance, but it’s not guaranteed.
Speaking on his previous experience with the Under-23s, Shayne acknowledged that while it was a privilege to be involved, he’s hungry for more and is ready to work for his place in the team.
“Last time round, I was a reserve in the Under-23s for the Europeans and the Worlds, and while getting to that point was great, I obviously want to get selected. I’m going to have to work for it, fight others for it – so it’s going to be good.”
This past season since Shayne joined the University of Stirling has been hugely successful and this silver medal is just the icing on the cake. These 12 months has seen Shayne play for Lothian Phoenix in the British Wheelchair Basketball’s Premier League and in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation’s EuroCup. On top of that Shayne came home with some silverware after winning Gold while competing for the University of Nottingham in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition.
Shayne has been able to compete at the highest level for his sport and he hopes to continue his momentum going into the Commonwealth Games and the Under-23 European Championships in 2026.
Shayne was just one of five athletes at the University of Stirling who competed at the FISU World University Games with gymnasts Cameron Lynn and Crystelle Lake (Great Britain) and swimmers Paige van der Westhuizen (Zimbabwe) and Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal (Malaysia).
Featured Image Credit: Jeff Holmes
