Brits Jordanne Whiley, Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid and Andy Lapthorne have all been drawn against one of the top two seeds in each of the men’s, women’s and quad singles wheelchair draws, which begin on Thursday at The Championships, Wimbledon.

Ten-time Grand Slam champion Whiley will begin her first Wimbledon ladies’ singles campaign since 2017 with a contest against her doubles partner and world No.2 Yui Kamiji of Japan, as the two meet at The Championships for the very first time. The last time they met at a Grand Slam was in the 2015 US Open final, a contest that Whiley won in three sets for her only Grand Slam singles title to date.

World No.8 Whiley, who last played at Wimbledon two years ago, when she was 11 weeks pregnant, said: “To be honest I didn’t really mind who I got in the draw. Obviously, it could have been better, but it could have been worse, too. The main thing is I’m confident, I feel like I’m playing well, and I’m just really excited to be back playing at Wimbledon and I can’t wait to get started.”

Whiley’s last appearance at Wimbledon also brought the current British No.1 and Kamiji their fourth successive ladies’ doubles title together. Whiley and Kamiji will play Dutch top seeds Diede de Groot and Aniek van Koot, the reigning Australian Open and Roland Garros champions, in this year’s semi-finals, due to take place on Friday.

Reid, the inaugural Wimbledon gentlemen’s wheelchair singles champion in 2016, will face world No.1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan in this year’s quarter-finals on Thursday. Reid and Kunieda’s last meeting at a Grand Slam was in last month’s Roland Garros semi-finals, with Reid prevailing in three sets to reach his first Grand Slam singles final since 2016.

Eleven-time Grand Slam champion Reid, who has moved up one place to men’s singles world No.7 this week, said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing Shingo for the first time competitively on grass. He is top seed for a reason, but I feel I have the game to cause him a lot of problems on this surface.”

All four Brits on the LTA’s GB Wheelchair Tennis World Class Performance Programme who are playing at Wimbledon this year already have Grand Slam singles and doubles titles to their name.

Reigning US Open champion Alfie Hewett, winner of last month’s all-British men’s singles final on the grass courts at the Fever-Tree Championships, will play reigning Australian Open and Roland Garros champion Gustavo Fernandes of Argentina in his opening match at Wimbledon this year.

World No.3 Hewett said: “I’m excited to be back playing back at Wimbledon and I’m really looking forward to the start of play on Thursday, Gustavo is a tough opponent and I played him here two years ago, so I know what to expect, but I will go out and give it everything like I always do and what will be will be.”

Hewett and Reid will open their bid for a fourth successive Wimbledon gentlemen’s doubles title against French top seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer, the duo the Brits beat in both the 2016 and 2017 finals at The Championships and last year’s US Open men’s doubles final.

World No.3 Andy Lapthorne will play world No.2 David Wagner of the United States when history is made on Thursday with the Wimbledon debut of a quad singles draw.

Lapthorne has already partnered Wagner to one success at Wimbledon after they paired up to win last year’s quad doubles exhibition match, the forerunner to the inclusion of competitive quad singles and doubles draws this year.

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Lapthorne, who beat Wagner in the 2014 US Open quad singles final to claim what is currently his sole Grand Slam singles title, said: “It’s a dream come true to be playing in the first quad singles and doubles events at Wimbledon. I’m really excited to play on Thursday and I’m just going to enjoy the moment and hopefully the
match goes my way.”

Lapthorne will partner Australian Dylan Alcott in the quad doubles, with the duo set to play Japan’s Koji Sugeno and Wagner for the inaugural Wimbledon quad doubles title, For news and updates from the wheelchair tennis draws and the fortunes of the Brits at Wimbledon, follow on Twitter @the_LTA and @WChairTennisGB.

To find out more about the LTA’s work with disability tennis, head to www.lta.org.uk/play or email disabilitytennis@lta.org.uk.

Photo courtesy of the Tennis Foundation

The 2019 IWBF Women’s European Wheelchair Basketball Championships took place between the 28 June and 8 July in Rotterdam, Netherlands and the event placed much significance on Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games qualification. 

Ayrshire born and former Lothian Phoenix player, Robyn Love, was the only Scottish representative in the squad but the 2016 Rio Paralympian was once again a central figure within the team. 

The GB side completed the tournament’s pool stage qualifying for the semi-finals having accrued three wins and two losses, one to Germany and a second to hosts the Netherlands. 

However, they faced Germany in the semi-finals two days after suffering a tough pool game loss to the team (48-61). In what was undoubtedly one of the most contested games of the Championships, Great Britain delivered a remarkable performance to come out on top 49-48 to claim their place in the final.   

The final saw Love, and her GB team mates, once again face the Netherlands, who are an extremely strong nation in the women’s game.  Once again it was a tough encounter against the side who had already defeated them in the group stages.  Sadly, the Brits succumbed to a 52-65 loss to the hosts but will be delighted to claim a silver medal. 

The Great Britain women’s team has grown and improved over the past few years and their performances are creating history. Within the space of 12 months they have claimed both a World and European championships’ silver medal, building on their 4th place finish at the 2016 Paralympic Games. 

GB’s #15 Robyn Love has been a key figure during this period of sustained success and summed up the feeling amongst the squad: 

“Incredibly proud – it’s hard to put into words at this moment about how I feel. When you do something you’ve never done before you can’t quite describe how that feels.” 

For more information please visit: 

Basketball Scotland 
http://basketballscotland.co.uk/  

British Wheelchair Basketball
www.britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk  

The news we have all been waiting and hoping for is out on the street. The UK Sports Association for People with Learning Disability (UKSA) has announced that Sam Fernando from Gateside and Fife Athletic Club has been selected for Team GB, and on this occasion he is not heading back to Europe but to Brisbane, Australia.

Only two GB athletes will travel to the 2019 Global Games. Multi medalist, Declan Manning (Bungay, Suffolk) and double European medalist Sam Fernando will wear the British colours.

The Inas Global Games are scheduled 11th to 20th October 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. Hosted by Sports Inclusion Australia over 1000 athletes are expected to compete in 10 official Inas sports. The Global Games are the world’s largest high performance sports event for athletes with intellectual impairments. The Games are held every four years and there are over 80 countries in membership of Inas.

Congratulations from all of us in Disability Sport Fife to Sam on his second international selection in a matter of a couple of years. Well done to coach Ron Morrison on producing yet another world class athlete and to everybody in Fife Athletic Club and at Bell Baxter HS who has played a part in Sam’s amazing sporting journey to date. http://www.uksportsassociation.org/…/uksa-announce-cycling…/

Richard Brickley OBE MBE, Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Bowls Scotland has selected their B2/B3 Mixed Pair and B6/7/8 Open Triple ahead of a test event against Australia. The event will be held at Royal Leamington Spa – which is the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games venue – between Friday 12th July and Sunday 14th July 2019.

The Scottish players will be tested to the full as the Australians are the reigning Commonwealth Champions in both disciplines. Nevertheless, this will provide a great benchmarking opportunity for the Scottish players and coaching staff against arguably the best Para Bowls Nation in the world.

High Performance Para Bowls Co-ordinator, Bob Christie, said: “I’m delighted that our squad have been asked to compete in this test series alongside the mainstream bowlers. It’s a great opportunity for the players to play on the greens that will be hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games against top class opposition. This will assist all the players to continue to develop and gain experience.”

High Performance Coach, David Gourlay MBE, said: “I’m delighted that para-bowls will also be competing in the test series and this is a great opportunity for everyone involved to compete on the greens that will host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

The Scotland team is as follows:

B2/B3 Mixed Pair
B3: Robert Barr (Jordanhill BC)
B3: Melanie Inness (Coltbridge BC)

Directors
Sarah Jane Ewing (Abbeyview BC)
Chris Morrow (Willowbank BC)

B6/B7/B8 Triple
B6: George Guthrie (Maryhill BC)
B7: Glen Livingston (Cowdenbeath BC)
B7: Pauline Wilson (Willowbank BC)

The British Paratriathlon team secured a total of seven medals from the ITU World Paratriathlon Series in Montreal. The event focus was securing the first stage of nomination for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

An important member of the team is 2016 Rio Paralympic Games silver medallist, Alison Peasgood. The Scott, who trains out of Loughborough and Stirling, is a very experience performer having been part of the British Triathlon programme since 2014.

Peagood, who competes in the PTVI classification for visually impaired athletes, continued her medal form by winning another silver on this occasion, alongside her guide Nikki Bartlett. The pair demonstrated the fastest bike split across the field which put them in a god position ahead of the run. However, they lost out to Spain’s Susana Rodriguez,

Jonathon Riall, British Paratriathlon’s Head Coach, said: “I’m really pleased with the team’s performance today. To see such fantastic racing on a world stage is great and I believe we can build on the performances moving forwards. The conditions were challenging but to come home with seven medals is a really good result.

“We have come off the back of our two-week camp in Florida and I’m pleased with the impact that it had on the athletes ahead of this competition.

“It’s great that so many of our athletes have secured the first stage of Tokyo 2020 qualification and we’re all looking forward to the Test Event in August.”

For more information please see the British Triathlon website: https://www.britishtriathlon.org/news/british-paratriathletes-celebrate-medal-success-in-montreal_11221

It was with great sadness that I learned this evening that George Keith from Aberdeen passed away earlier today. The thoughts of all of us in Scottish Disability Sport are with George and his family and friends during this time of great loss.

George was always a great friend to DSF athletes, players and coaches. His contribution to SDS and Grampian
table tennis over the past 40 years has been immeasurable.

When I arrived in Fife in 1975 I was privileged to be asked by SDS to organise the Scottish Table Tennis Championships at the Fife Sports Institute. That resulted in my first meeting with George as a participant. As a standing player with a physical impairment there was none better and his enthusiasm to involve others led to considerable interest in the game throughout the 80s and 90s in particular.

Our paths crossed many times thereafter and we even had a room next to one another in Hoffstra University in New York when George was selected to represent Team GB at the 1984 Paralympic Games. George was not only a world class player with cerebral palsy but on that team he was an amazing support to a number of the less experienced Scottish members of Team GB. George accepted enthusiastically his role as the team father figure.

I recall with great fondness the rivalry between George and our own Paul Noble in the men’s singles section of the SDS Table Tennis Championships. George had the edge on Paul on most occasions but when Paul teamed up with Lara Ferguson in doubles, the Fife partnership reigned supreme.

George collaborated with Fife coach Wilma Catignani in setting up a Sunday afternoon national table tennis league at the Fife Sports Institute that ran for many years. George was accorded the title of Mr Table Tennis and my goodness he lived up to the nickname and was proud of it.

George was one of those unsung heroes of Scottish sport who unselfishly devoted so much time to the sport he loved. Locally and nationally George achieved so much. George was a highly respected player, organiser and coach. In addition he was good man, highly respected by all those around him. George cared and would always go the extra mile for the individual participant.

George we all owe you so much and we shall never forget all that you contributed to table tennis. We thank you for your friendship, expertise and support. You were an exceptional team and family man George.

I discovered this photo in my archives. Councillor James Kiddie hosted the annual Aberdeen Sport Person of the Year in 2010. George was awarded the Lord Provost’s award.

Funeral arrangements: Tuesday July 9th at 11 00 in the West Chapel, Aberdeen Crematorium

Richard Brickley OBE MBE – Chairman DSF (SCIO) Board of Charity Trustees

Hi, I am Madison Garland the new Boccia Development Officer for Scottish Disability Sport (SDS). My role is nationwide with my office based at SDS headquarters in Edinburgh. I am looking forward to becoming part of the SDS team, as well as getting to know the boccia community. I am excited about the prospect of developing the sport further and increasing the number of people playing across the country.

Prior to working with SDS I achieved my Sports Development and Coaching degree at Dundee University, and soon after, gained my first role as the National Disability Development Officer and the East Female Development Officer at Cricket Scotland (CS). My role at CS consisted of developing female cricketers and engaging and identifying new players via the fantastic engagement programmes that had been set up. I also assisted with the set up of the Disability Cricket section of the SGB, helping raise the profile of not only disability cricket, but of disability sport. I achieved this through several vehicles but one of the most successful was raising awareness of the visually impaired game using high-profile events, such as our exhibition match between the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) and the Glasgow City Councillors. This event profiled the sport politically as well as amongst the visually impaired community. I hope to use my previous experiences to increase the profile of boccia in a similar way.

Whilst I am not coming from a background in the sport of boccia, I am really looking forward to learning more about the sport and increasing my knowledge further. I have gained a lot of sports development experience in disability sport, and female participation, from my work at Cricket Scotland and this will benefit me going forward.

I’ll be getting out and about to meet the boccia community in due course but in the meantime I can be contacted on madison.garland@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Four British players from the LTA’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Performance Programme will contest the wheelchair events at The Championships, Wimbledon, next month after wildcards were announced on Wednesday for Andy Lapthorne, Jordanne Whiley and Gordon Reid. Two Brits will contest the gentlemen’s wheelchair singles and doubles events, with reigning US Open champion Alfie Hewett already confirmed among the direct entries.

The wheelchair players are part of a total of fourteen Brits in the singles main draws at The Championships.

Lapthorne will be one of four players who will make history at Wimbledon as quad singles and doubles events make their debuts on the competition schedule following last year’s quad doubles exhibition match, which Lapthorne won partnering American David Wagner.

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Lapthorne, who has climbed to No.3 in this week’s quad singles rankings after reaching the final of the Open de France Super Series, said:

“It’s a dream come true to be playing in the first quad singles and doubles events at Wimbledon and I’m very thankful to Wimbledon for giving me that chance. I got an injury in Australia and It’s been tough coming back, but I’ve had some good results over the last couple of weeks and being back at world No. 3 this week helps everything.

“I’m going to be playing doubles with Dylan (Alcott of Australia) this time. We get on really well together and he’s done so much for the sport over the last couple of years, so it would be amazing if we could become the first official Wimbledon quad doubles champions together.”

Whiley will play her first Wimbledon since becoming a mum in January 2018. In 2017 she played at The Championships whilst 11 weeks pregnant, winning her fourth successive ladies’ doubles title partnering Yui Kamiji of Japan.

Whiley began her comeback to international wheelchair tennis in February this year and has won four of seven singles events she has contested since then Whiley has returned to No.8 in this week’s women’s singles rankings reaching the semi-finals of last year’s Super Series event in France.

Ten-time Grand Slam champion Whiley, who will playing at Wimbledon for the eighth time, said:

“I’m really excited and especially since it will be the first time since my comeback earlier this year that I’ve played with Yui. Obviously, the last time I was at Wimbledon we won the doubles again and I was pregnant with Jackson, so it’s going to be exciting to see what we can do this year. I’m so grateful that Wimbledon have backed me, but I’ve had a great comeback and I did not expect to be back in the top eight by mid-June. It’s been an amazing few months.”

Reid, the first ever Wimbledon gentlemen’s wheelchair singles champion in 2016, will play at The Championships for the ninth time and the current world No. 8’s wildcard award means he will partner Hewett in a bid to make it four successive gentlemen’s singles titles.

Eleven-time Grand Slam champion Reid, who was men’s singles finalist at Roland Garros this year, said:

“Wimbledon obviously holds so many great memories for me after winning four tittles there over the past three years, so I’m very happy and grateful to have been awarded the wildcard. It’s always a privilege to play at your home Grand Slam and such a buzz to win the major titles with the home crowd behind you, as Alfie and I have experienced. Hopefully I can take my good form on the clay and the hard courts in Paris over the past two weeks onto the grass courts.

Current world No. 3 Hewett is the only one of the four Brits to have qualified for direct acceptance for the wheelchair events at The Championships via his ranking.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Hewett, who added doubles victories partnering Reid at Wimbledon and the US Open to his 2018 US Open singles title, said:

“I’m incredibly excited for Wimbledon this year and for the prospect of trying to make it four doubles titles in a row with Gordon. There is no better feeling than winning a Grand Slam title in front of a home crowd. As the season’s gone on my form has been getting better and better and after reaching the singles semis at Roland Garros a couple of weeks ago and at Wimbledon for the last two years I’m really looking forward to getting back on the grass and trying to make it to two finals this time,”

The wheelchair tennis draws at The Championships, Wimbledon, take place on 11-14 July. For news and updates in the coming weeks follow on Twitter @the_LTA and @WChairTennisGB.

Photo courtesy of the Tennis Foundation