Gordon Reid made it back-to-back Japan Open Super Series men’s singles wheelchair tennis titles on Saturday when the Rio Paralympic champion defeated world No.3 Shingo Kunieda of Japan 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in Iizuka.

Reid ends the tournament as singles and doubles champion in the same year in Iizuka for the first time after partnering fellow Brit Alfie Hewett to win Friday’s men’s doubles final, when Kunieda was again on the opposite side of the net. Reid also leaves Asia with three titles in three events in two weeks after winning the men’s singles at last week’s Korea Open ITF 1 Series.

As well as marking another successful tournament for players on the Tennis Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme, Saturday’s victory means Reid has now won three career singles titles at Super Series level, the highest tier of standalone wheelchair tennis tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams.

“It means a lot to me to win the Japan Open for a second year running. Shingo is always a tough opponent and somebody I enjoy sharing the court with, so it was a great moment for me today in front of a fantastic crowd. Taking the title is the perfect end to this tour for me and I’m looking forward to taking this confidence into the rest of the tournaments over the summer.,” said Reid, who reached Saturday’s final after four straight sets wins, including a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Hewett in the second all-Brit Super Series singles semi-final between the two players this season.

Reid and Hewett claimed their third Super Series men’s doubles title together on Friday without having dropped a set in Iizuka. The top seeds beat the second seeds, Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez and Kunieda, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the final. Reid is now a two-time Japan Open men’s doubles champion after winning the 2015 title partnering Kunieda.

Former Australian Open and Wimbledon men’s singles champion Reid and reigning Roland Garros singles champion Hewett will now look forward to returning to Paris for the second Grand Slam of 2018 in early June. However, before then they will lead the Great Britain men’s challenge at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, which takes place in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, from 28 May – 3 June.

Photo courtesy of Gordon Reid

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is the recognised governing body for para lawn bowls in Scotland and is tasked with selecting players that are capable of delivering medals at the highest levels of international competition, including the Home Nations Championships, IBD World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

From the 8 to the 10 June Scotland will compete in singles, pairs, triples and four bowl formats against England and Wales at Clarence Park Bowls Club in Weston-super-Mare.  This is the first international since the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and all players now have the opportunity to impress.

Commenting on the team selection, SDS Performance Manager, Gary Fraser said:

“Following the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games we have re-selected our national squad and we have included several new players.  The coaches are looking forward to this test series and we are delighted to announce a strong field of players, some of whom will be making their first appearance.  This presents the ideal opportunity for all players to stake their claim as we look ahead to the IBD World Championships in 2020.”

Scottish Para Lawn Bowls Squad

Player	Classification	Town	Local Authority
Ian Graham	B2	Dunfermline	Fife
Mary Stevenson	B2	Barrhead	Renfrewshire
Melanie Inness (R)	B3	Balerno	Edinburgh
Maria Spencer	B3	Dunfermline	Fife
Robert Barr	B3	Glasgow	Glasgow
Sandy McIntosh	B3	Inverness	Highland
Billy Allan	B6	Cowdenbeath	Fife
Fraser Mathieson	B6	St Ninians	Stirling
George Guthrie	B6	Glasgow	Glasgow
Ian Donaldson (R)	B6	Dumfries	Dumfries & Galloway
Barbara McMillan	B7	Cowdenbeath	Fife
Derek Hartley	B7	Tullibody	Clackmannanshire
John Hughes	B7	Stewarton	East Ayrshire
John Wardrope	B7	Ayr	South Ayrshire
Garry Brown	B7	Kirkmuirhill	South Lanarkshire
Rosemary Lenton	B7	Dumfries	Dumfries & Galloway
Brendon Handling	B8	Stranraer	Dumfries & Galloway

Coach	Town	Local Authority
Bob Dick (Head Coach)	Cupar	Fife
Christine Morrow	Dalmuir	Clydebank
Sarah-Jane Ewing	Dunfermline	Fife
Bob Christie	Brechin	Angus
Chris McGready	Grangemouth	Falkirk
Eric McMillan	Cowdenbeath	Fife

(R) Reserve

Will play a minimum of three matches

Gordon Reid and Lucy Shuker earned the perfect preparation for next week’s Japan Open wheelchair tennis Super Series tournament when they won Saturday’s Korea Open men’s and women’s singles finals at Seoul’s Olympic Park Tennis Centre.

Saturday’s double success meant a clean sweep of all three titles contested by the two Brits at the ITF 1 Series event after Shuker also won her third Korea Open women’s doubles title on Friday’s penultimate day of competition.

With top seed Reid concentrating his efforts on the men’s singles this week the world No.5 claimed straight sets wins over Myung-Ho Bae of Korea, eighth seed Satoshi Saida of Japan and fourth seed Ben Weekes of Australia to earn his place in Saturday’s final against Japanese second seed Takashi Sanada. Rio Paralympic champion Reid saved his best performance until last, racing to a 6-0, 6-0 victory over world No.8 Sanada.

“I’m very pleased with the performance today against a top level opponent. I played positively and was clinical throughout the match. It’s great preparation for the start of a busy summer season,” said Reid, who will now bid to defend his Japan Open men’s singles title in Iizuka from Monday.

Reid and Shuker will be joined at the Japan Open in Iizuka by fellow Tennis Foundation Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programne members Alfie Hewett and Antony Cotterill.

Mary Wilson made another quick tournament turn around this time heading to Konya for the Turkish Enescup Para-Badminton International.

In the Sl4 singles the Scottish number 2 seed was pushed in three very tough group games being beaten only once by Thailands Nipada Seangsupa in a tight two sets, 21-23, 18-21. Having beaten both Turkey’s Halime Yildiz, 21-18, 21-14 and Frances Veronique Braud, 21-19, 16-21, 22-20, Mary secured a place in the semi-finals versus French rival Faustine Noel. This was where the Scots journey was to end being beaten in two sets 17-21, 16-21. This defeat finished Mary’s singles contest with a bronze medal to bring home.

In the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles, playing with Russian Pavel Kulikov, Mary’s journey was to end at the Quarter final stages. Having finished second in their group the pair were defeated in the quarter finals by Thailand’s Siripong Teamarrom and Nipada Seangsupa 12-21, 13-21.

The SL3-SU5 women’s doubles was a tough contest and playing with new partner Halime Yildiz, from Turkey, it wasn’t to be as the pair lost both group matches in a very strong group.

Having had 3 very successful tournaments very close together Mary will now get a well-deserved tournament break where she will be preparing for the Irish International in June, where she will be joined by 8 of her Scottish Team Mates.

The UK Sports Association for People with Learning Disability have published the GB Selection Policy for the 2018 INAS European Summer Games from  14^th – 22^nd July 2018, Paris, France.

This will be of interest to high performance athletes with an intellectual impairment.

Swimming Selection Policy – Inas European Summer Games 2018

Form 1a – Athlete Selection to GB Team (Part 1 Performance Training) S.._

Colette Martin and Lynsey Speirs are shining for Scotland at the Women’s Para Ice Hockey World Cup. The event is taking place from 1st – 6th May in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

The tournament is being supported by the Agitos Foundation, the development arm of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), with the aim of developing and growing Women’s Para Ice Hockey across the globe.

Martin and Speirs, who are typically wheelchair basketball players for Lothian Phoenix and West of Scotland Wheelchair Basketball Club, leaped at the opportunity to further participate in the sport. They were introduced to the sport by renowned Canada National Team member, Peggy Assinck, who now resides in Scotland.

Martin and Speirs are training with Great Britain and representing Scotland in a joint team with Australia. The team came away with a 2 – 0 victory against France in their first game of the cup. You can follow their progress on International Women’s Para Ice Hockey’s Facebook /womensparaicehockey and Twitter @WomensPIH.

Fresh off her success in Dubai Mary Wilson was back on the plane to Uganda’s second Para-Badminton International held from 24^th-29^th April. Playing in all three events Mary was hoping to build on her performances from a few weeks previous.

In the singles event seeded 2^nd and a predicated spot in the final Mary eased through her group booking her spot in the semi-finals versus Kenya’s Asha Kipwene Munene, which she won in straight sets 21-7, 21-7 solidifying her spot and 2^nd seeded rank in the final. The final proved her toughest game yet, coming out on top with a score of 21-14, 21-6 against Uganda’s Khadija Khamuka and picking up her first of 3 gold medals of this championships.

The doubles contest was decided in the pool stages with five couples competing in this class. Mary and SL3 partner Elizabeth Mwesigwa from Uganda outshined their opponents winning the gold medal in their final match 21-19, 21-5 against Khadija Khamuka and Rose Nansereko from Uganda.

Her third and final gold medal was won with France’s Guillame Gaily in the SL3- SU5 mixed doubles coming out on top of their group they breezed past their opponents to book a spot in the quarter finals. Here she would face Cameroons Isidore Kamgue and Cristance Moffouo, where they would win and move on to the semi-finals with a 21-8, 21-10 win. They came out on top once again over India and Ugandas Indrajit Pal and Lillian Namarome. Winning this match 21-9, 21-16 guaranteed them at least a silver medal, this was not good enough for the pair winning out in the end against Rafio Bello and Chinyere Okoro of Nigeria 21-10,21-12.

Sitting 6^th in the world at the moment Mary is in great form at the moment which has to give her hope for the qualification period starting next year for the 2020 Paralympics where Para-Badminton will make its debut.

Photo: Alan Spink

Are you highly motivated and up for a challenge?

Do you have an eligible impairment?

Are you over the age of 16?

Are you eager to try new sports?

Are you interested in transferring from one sport to another?

#DiscoverYourParaPotential is an athlete recruitment campaign looking to provide an opportunity for athletes with an impairment.

Scottish Disability Sport and the sportscotland Institute of Sport are working closely with UK Sport in order to deliver a profiling event on Sunday 10 June at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

The intention is to identify high potential individuals who, with the right support, have a realistic opportunity to achieve selection to represent Great Britain at future Paralympic Games, in all sports.  In addition, and due to the Scottish focus, we are really interested to hear from individuals keen to explore the options in Boccia, Nordic Sit Ski, Wheelchair Curling and Para Lawn Bowls.

Broadly, the #DiscoverYourParaPotential campaign is seeking individuals across all eligible impairment groups:

• Visual impairment
• Intellectual impairment
• Physical Impairment including but not exclusively: limb deficiency (inc. amputees), short stature, spinal cord injury, Spina Bifida, Polio, Cerebral Palsy, impaired passive range of movement, leg-length difference

More information can be found at https://www.paralympic.org/classification

REGISTRATION PROCESS

Website:       www.uksport.gov.uk/talent
Sign up:         https://henry216.typeform.com/to/Nx8PHC
Closes at midnight on Tuesday 15 May 2018

If you do not meet all the criteria listed above, but would still like to get involved, SDS would like to hear from you. Please contact us on 0131 317 1130 / admin@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

DYPP Fact Sheet 2018