University of Stirling basketballer looks ahead to Glasgow 2026 after returning to campus with silver

University of Stirling basketballer Shayne Humphries has set his sights on next year’s Commonwealth Games after winning silver at the FISU World University Games in the summer.

Shayne, who is studying a BSc Sport and Exercise Science, was part of the 3x3 wheelchair basketball team that took second place in the competition – securing GB Students’ first ever para medal.

The team – made up of Shayne, Alex Marshall-Wilson (Loughborough University), William Bishop (Cardiff Metropolitan University) and James Hazell (University of Nottingham) – won two of their three pool games against Bulgaria and hosts Germany, qualifying for the quarter-finals. They saw off the challenge of Brazil in the last eight, before winning their semi-final against the United States.

In the final, played in front of a packed crowd, the British team came up against competition favourites Spain – who ended up winning the tight encounter by three points, 11-8.

Returning to campus for the new semester, Shayne reflected on his silver medal: “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.”

Experience

Shayne hopes his experience at the Games – held in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany – can put him in contention for a spot with Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Great Britain’s team for the Under-23 European Championships next year.

“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.

“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.”

Shayne, who was born with a hereditary muscle condition, started playing wheelchair basketball aged 11 after attending a parasports festival in his hometown of Dundee. His silver medal caps a hugely successful season for Shayne, who joined the University as a sports scholar last year.

Over the past 12 months, he has competed at the highest level of his sport – playing with Lothian Phoenix in British Wheelchair Basketball’s Premier League and in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation’s EuroCup. He also won gold while competing for the University of Nottingham in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition – which allows players to compete for other universities due to the infancy of the sport in the BUCS programme.

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.”

Shayne was one of five University of Stirling athletes to compete at the FISU World University Games, alongside gymnasts Cameron Lynn and Crystelle Lake (Great Britain) and swimmers Paige van der Westhuizen (Zimbabwe) and Arvin Shaun Singh Chahal (Malaysia). All athletes are sports scholars at Stirling – Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence – and Cameron and Crystelle receive additional support through Winning Students 100, Scotland’s sports scholarship programme.

University of Stirling Sport

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

Core sports include swimming, golf, tennis, triathlon, football and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.