With support from the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, the 2016 Disability Sport Fife (DSF) Carpet Bowls Championships were held at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre Glenrothes. Thirteen singles sections for junior and senior players with a physical, sensory or learning disability were contested and a significant number of bowlers were introduced to the event for the first time. DSF will select the Fife team for the Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships to be organised by Scottish Disability Sport at DISC in Dundee on Saturday 4th February from results recorded at the Fife event.
Lochgelly HS provided all the junior players for the three sections for junior players with a learning disability. Kayshaleigh Lambert and Brandon Cuming won the girls and boys “A” sections with Emily Cowan and Ryan Pollock finishing as runners-up. The boys “B” section was won by Jordan Mitchell and Adam Montague was runner-up.
The section for bowlers who use a wheelchair was keenly contested. DSF welcomed back Robbie Craig to competitive bowls after a long absence and Theresa Wyse confirmed her position as the leading female wheelchair bowler in Fife. The final however was contested by Central Fife CSS bowlers Jim Donaldson and Wullie Harrison with the latter winning the title.
Kenny Dow and Neil Laughlin once again contested the final in the section for restricted bowlers with a physical impairment with Kenny retaining the Fife title. Scottish outdoor international Billy Allan retained the Fife open title and blind bowler Eleanor Clark played brilliantly to finish runner-up.
Craig Donaldson and Michelle Wallace from Central Fife CSS won the men’s and women’s open titles in the 
sections for bowlers with a learning disability and Gary Lindsay and Wendy Thomson from East Fife CSS finished as runners-up. The men’s B section final was an all East Fife CSS affair with Craig Bernard defeating Craig Houston in the final. In the equivalent women’s section final newcomer Erin Johnston from West Fife CSS defeated Roberta Buchan from Central Fife CSS.
West Fife CSS bowlers dominated the men’s C, D and E sections with Wayne Sammut, Tristen Rankine and Kevin Rowe winning the three titles. East Fife CSS bowlers Wayne Moreland, David Scott and George Goodsir finished as runners-up in each of the three sections.
Disability Sport Fife is indebted to the 18 volunteer markers from bowling clubs in central Fife who officiated non-stop throughout the five hours of the Championships. The Fife team for the 2017 Scottish Carpet Bowls Championships will be announced early in 2017.
Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife
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