By Tom Degun

Ben_QuilterMarch 21 - World champion Ben Quilter (pictured) has been named as part of a five-strong British squad that will compete at the 2011 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) VI World Games in Antalya in Turkey next month.


IBSA's multi-sport bi-annual showpiece, at Dilek Sabancı Sports Facilities from April 5-9, is a great marker for athletes to access their form ahead of the London 2012 Paralympics with a number of the world's top stars battling it out for vital ranking points.

Quilter is set to line up for Britain at under 60kg and will be in confident mood after he became the first British visually-impaired world judo champion in 12 years at the 2010 IBSA VI World Judo Championships in Turkey last year.

"It's very different to be going into an event like this as the reigning world champion but it gives me confidence," said the 29-year-old from Brighton, who is only the fifth Briton ever to hold the world title - the last being Simon Jackson in 1998.

"Other countries will also be competing for ranking points, which is fortunately something I don't have to think about as we qualify for the 2012 Paralympics as home nation athletes.

"Training has gone well, I've felt good in practice and I'm really looking forward to competing now.

"With the camps at Dartford I think other nations have seen how well our programme is working and why we've managed to be successful at events such as the World Championships."

Quilter will be joined by fellow London 2012 gold medal prospect Joe Ingram.

Ingram won a silver medal at the 2010 World Championships and will compete in the under 100kg category next month.

Talent search product Lesley Reid, who made a name for herself by taking bronze at this event last year, will fight at over 70kg while Darren Harris sees action at under 66kg.

Daniel Powell completes the British line-up and will be fighting in the under 81kg category.

Notably absent from the line-up is 2008 Paralympic bronze medallist Sam Ingram, brother of Joe.

He underwent surgery on his knee and is now fully focused on his rehabilitation at Judo Scotland's National Training Centre in Ratho, Edinburgh.

The team will be led by Paralympic programme manager Dave Sanders who'll be joined by coaches Jean-Paul Bell and Vicki Dunn.

"We want the British team to dominate these events and continue to put our markers down for the London 2012 Games next year," said Sanders.

The team are set to depart for Turkey on April 1.

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