WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL: Southampton’s Joy Haizelden is already counting down the days until Rio 2016.

Haizelden travelled to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to take part in a Great Britain v Netherlands match as part of the 2014 National Paralympic Day celebrations.

The 15-year-old epitomised the youthful nature of the Great Britain team selected to face the 2012 Paralympic bronze medallists.

After GB’s 54-50 loss, Haizelden said: “We got off to a rocky start but we got better towards the end, so I’m proud of the way we played.

“This sort of atmosphere really whets your appetite for big tournaments and I’ve even more excited about Rio 2016 now.

“We’ve got the World Junior tournament next year and the European Senior Championships as well, so my goal is to be selected for those.

“We’re coming together nicely as a team and my mind is definitely turning towards Rio 2016.”

She added: “National Paralympic Day is a great idea – it gets more people involved in wheelchair basketball and raises the profile of the sport.

“It was amazing to play in front of such a big crowd – they were really loud and it gives you a push to make your shots.”

National Paralympic Day aims to promote Paralympic sport across the UK, giving people the opportunity to relive the wonder of 2012 and to support Paralympic sports and athletes.

NPD2014 is supported by the Spirit of 2012 Trust. Visit the website Paralympics.org.uk/npd2014.