By Casey Neill
Basketballer Frazer Dawber will represent Australia on the court in Italy this month.
The 21-year-old, who works at disability enterprise Gateway Industries in Dandenong, will play for the Boomerangs at the INAS World Basketball Championships.
“It’s the world basketball championship for men with intellectual disability,” he said.
Frazer was “happy” to be selected for the International Federation for Intellectual Impairment Sport (INAS) event.
The 198cm tall centre first picked up a basketball at Hawthorn special school Rossbourne School.
“It was a new sport there so I just got into it and fell in love with it,” he said.
“When I started I was just playing with the local competition at Rossbourne and then as I went on I just got better and got introduced to more groups.
“I tried to go professionally but that didn’t work out.
“Nowadays I just play with friends.”
The Boomerangs, Australia’s basketball team for men with an intellectual disability, last played in Loano, Italy, in 2011.
The side finished fourth after losing the bronze medal playoff to Portugal 46 to 79.
Frazer played for the side at the 2015 INAS Global Games in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where the side also just missed out on the podium.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to win the bronze medal. That’s what I’m hoping for,” he said.
“The teams that played in that should be coming back in this world champs, plus some new teams.”
He’ll fly to Europe on Sunday 19 November and the tournament will run from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 November.
“I was happy and excited to go away,” he said.
“I’ve been to America a couple of times but I’ve never been to Europe.”
There are 10 players, three emergency players and four staff members in the Boomerangs squad.
“We have camps, come together and work on the team things that we need to,” Frazer said.
“Then our coach gives us programs to help us work on our basketball skills and our physical skills to get better.
“I work out once or twice a week and I play two times a week.
“When I play I just try and work on my skills that I need to improve.”
Frazer’s mum said he was always outside shooting hoops.
“They’re always excited and happy for me and they do a lot to make sure I get there,” Frazer said.
He’s also represented Victoria at the State Championships on five occasions, taking home a gold medal from each appearance.
