Former city student thrilled with Commonwealth Games Basketball bronze

Manning, at 32 the daddy of a three-player team, responded well to a crushing last-gasp semi-final defeat to Australia the previous day to beat Malaysia convincingly in the bronze medal match.

It finished 21-11 to an England team backed by National Lottery funding to Manning’s obvious delight. “What we were able to do was unbelievable and took guts, pride, resilience, every word you can produce, to do it.

"The semi-final defeat knocked us. It hurt, there's no two ways about it. We came in expecting and wanting gold.

“To take that pain and turn that energy into a performance is special. I’m unbelievably proud to have been on the court and on the side cheering my little heart out for them.

“It was never going to be an individual thing; it was a team thing. As the leader of the group, I take the loss on myself, I’m never going to put it on the other guys.

“I tried my best as an athlete yesterday, but I think I should have tried more as a leader in that moment. That’s why today was about giving those guys that opportunity back.

“I wanted them to play in front of 2,500 home fans to give it their all and see how special this can be.”

It’s been a triumphant Games for local sportsmen. Gunthorpe gymnast Jake Jarman won four gold medals and Yaxley bowler Nick Brett also won gold.

Jarman

Brett

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