Mary Wilson, the only competitor from Scotland, came home with three medals from the 1st Fazza Dubai Para-Badminton International held last week.

Competing in all three events, Mary had an excellent run getting out of her group in all three events.

In the singles playing in a joint SL4/SU5 event Mary successfully came out top of her group with three straight forward wins, setting her up for a quarter final clash against Australias Caitlin Dransfeild. In a 2 set battle Mary came up victorious with a 21-17, 21-17 win securing her place in the semi final and guaranteeing her a medal. She had to settle with bronze though after falling to Turkish SU5 1st seed Zehar Baglar, 21-11, 21-13.

Her singles contest was far from over though due to playing up a class and being one of the highest placed SL4 athletes Mary was then in contest to play for Silver and Bronze in the SL4 singles class with her opponent being Chiranjita Bharali from India. This was no easy contest but Mary came out with the Silver Medal with a 21-18, 21-17 win.

In the Womens doubles, playing with Frances Veronique Braud, Mary was to get her third and last medal of this event after beating the 1st seeds Khadija Khamuka and Elizabeth Mwesigwa from Uganda in their group but losing out to eventual winners Faustine Noel and Leani Ratri Oktila. Having placed second in their group they were then to meet Zehra Baglar and Manasi Joshi in the semi-final. After a 3 set battle the Turkish/ Indian pair were too strong and so Mary had to settle with a Bronze with a score line of 13-21, 21-16, 11-21.

Lastly in the mixed doubles playing with Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan, the pair were able to get out of the group stages meeting 3/4 seeds in the quarter finals losing out in an incredible match with a score line of 18-21, 24-26 versus Ilker Tuzcu and Manasi Joshi.

Dubai hosted an excellent tournament for their first international and we hope there will be many more to come.

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.

The policy can be downloaded here.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and the Scottish Football Association (SFA) were delighted to deliver the National 5-a-side Football Championships at Glasgow Green once again.

An entry of 45 teams from all over Scotland arrived at Glasgow Green to participate in the SDS/ SFA National Championships to determine which team can claim bragging rights for the 5-a-side format for the year ahead.

Gary McDonald of the SFA organised the programme for the event and it was heartening to see 6 sections represented on the day. The combining of A Class and B Class players in the Premier Division has allowed teams a much more competitive environment and accommodates teams that would otherwise not play many matches.

History was made as a Glenrothes Strollers were victorious in the Premiership section – the first time ever a team from Fife has won the Premiership section. It couldn’t have been closer, though, as Glasgow Firhill and Highland finished on the same points which left goal difference to decide the winners.

It proved to be a very successful tournament, once again, for teams from the West of Scotland, with 7 further medallists from the region in all section which further demonstrates the strength of the clubs and players in this area. Claremont Colts finished ahead of Blantyre Gold in the Championships whilst an all Dumfries & Galloway final ensured half the bus would be happy on the way home. A silver medal in the Junior B section was added to their collection too.  Dumbarton Riverside claimed the League 2 title whilst Lothian performed well in the Junior sections with Cedarbank finishing runners up in the A section and Woodlands claimed victory in the B section. Carrongrange from Forth Valley were the final titlist taking the A division gold position wich an assured performance.

Scottish Disability Sport and the Scottish Football Association are grateful for the input of Brian Martin for providing officials, and to City of Glasgow College students for their unstinting support throughout the day.

The next football national event will take place at Toryglen in September.

Photo: Glenrothes Strollers – Premiership Winners

Sammi Kinghorn took to the Gold Coast Roads on the final day of the Commonwealth Games to compete in the T54 Marathon. Sammi arrived in Gold Coast as the T53 World Champion at 100m, 200m and 400m and had finished fourth in the Gold Coast T54 1500m final on day six of the Games.

History was to repeat itself for Sammi as she once again finished in fourth place in the marathon, with a time of 1:45:02,  finishing only 42 seconds behind English bronze medallist, Jade Jones. Aussie gold medallist, Madison de Rozario, took her second title after also winning the 1500m on the track.

After the race Sammi said;

‘I am gutted. I tried to so hard to stay with the leaders and did so for a very long time. In fact, we went at it so hard early on that I have set a PB for the half marathon.

‘Then Maddy made a break and I was left with two T54 athletes in Eliza and Jade. I know these athlete and they are so strong so I was thinking ‘this isn’t good…’

‘I gave it all I could and to finish fourth for the second time this week is agonising. It just feels like the worst position in some ways because you are so near yet so far from being on the podium.

‘I don’t know if I will be doing marathon again – maybe when I am older but not any time soon. I actually didn’t feel too bad until the last mile and a half or so.

‘But I want to be Paralympic champion in the sprints. I want to get inside 16 seconds (for the 100m, not yet achieved by a T53) – I just want to be fastest, not go the furthest!

‘I’m chuffed for Maddy, the winner. She came over to Scotland for Glasgow 2014 but developed DVT on the plane and could not compete. I only heard that recently because at the time I thought it was a shoulder injury. That must have been awful for her but now she’s won double gold in front of the Aussie crowd – it’s that home advantage factor again, isn’t it?

‘I’m now taking a holiday here for a few weeks to chill out and enjoy myself. So it will be later in the year before we get back to track training and competition.’

This brought the curtain down on the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and after the spectacular closing ceremony, Team Scotland could reflect on a final medal count of 44 (9 gold, 13 silver, 22 bronze); with a final medal table position of eighth.

SDS are very excited to be returning to the Badaguish Centre in Aviemore for the SDS Junior Summer Sports Camp. SDS are indebted once again to our partners at the Short Breaks Fund and the Celtic FC Foundation for their continued support with this project.

The camp is specifically aimed at youngsters aged 10-18 with a physical, visual or hearing impairment and will involve a variety of sports and outdoor physical activities over a three day/ two-night residential experience in one of the most accessible venues in the UK. Please distribute this form to any individuals or groups you feel would benefit from this opportunity. We are again keen to access applications from all backgrounds and especially individuals who we may not have reached before. Therefore SDS are particularly keen to ensure this is circulated amongst children and young people with a disability from areas in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) – with financially supported places available – and Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) individuals.

Please apply through the link below or by the attached Application Form. Closing date for entries is Friday 26 May 2017

 **SDS Summer Sports Camp Application Form 2018**

 If you have any enquiries regarding this event please contact Mark Gaffney on mark.gaffney@scottishdisabilitysport.com or Sharon McDowell on coaching@scottishdisabilitysport.com or on 0131 625 4413.

 

There were medals up for grabs on the athletics track and on the bowling green in day seven of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Athletics

Dunbar’s Maria Lyle travelled to Gild Coast to compete in the T35 100m full of confidence following her bronze medal in the event at the 2017 World Para-Athletics Championships in London.  However, she knew she had to overcome the World gold medallist and World record holder, Isis Holt from Australia, if she was to take the gold.

Marie was swiftly out of the blocks in the Gold Coast T35 100m final and was looking good to achieve her goal. However, the powerful Aussie pulled away to take the gold medal in a time of 13.58. Maria raced hard and fought off pressure from Australia’s Brianna Coop to secure the silver in a time of 15.14.

Maria said;

‘It’s a silver medal for Team Scotland and I am really pleased to have played my part for the team.

‘I was nervous on the start-line standing up there and then there was a bit of a delay – I don’t even know why that happened.

‘I could have run better and I don’t feel like it was anything close to my best, but it was second place at the end of the day.

‘I saw a lot of Scottish flags and heard the shouts – my mum, Susan, is over here and we will get together now and have some time. It’s been fun being with Team Scotland and the training camp was good.’

Lawn Bowls

Having lost their B2/B3 Mixed Pair semi-final only 24 hours earlier, Scotland’s Para Bowlers now faced their Welsh counterparts in the battle for the bronze medal.

The B2/B3 Mixed Pair of Irene Edgar and Robert Barr, with Directors David Thomas and Sarah Jane Ewing, go off to a strong start to lead 3-1 after two ends. The Welsh showed their class and battled back to lead for the majority of the match and after the eighth end they led 9-4.

However, Scotland regrouped and scored in the next four ends to level the match in the twelfth end.   The two teams continued to trade shots and after the fifteen ends the match was tied 12-12, necessitating an extra end.

The quality of bowling had been exceptional and this continued into the extra end, where it came down to the very last bowl. Unfortunately for Scotland, the Welsh skip played a sublime shot to win the match and the bronze medal.

For a comprehensive overview of the Gold Coast Games go to;

https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/2018-gold-coast-commonwealth-games/

 

Day six on Gold Coast and Scotland’s Para Bowlers faced an important semi-final fixture while Scotland’s top wheelchair athlete took to the track for the first time and our top powerlifter looked to improve on his 2014 finish.

Lawn Bowls

The B2/B3 Mixed Pair of Irene Edgar and Robert Barr, with Directors David Thomas and Sarah Jane Ewing, had beaten Australia 15-11 only 24 hours earlier. They now had to face the host nation again to secure the ultimate goal of a place in the final and a shot at the gold medal.

Unfortunately, the Scots couldn’t replicate their performance in the round robin stage and despite matching the Australians in the early exchanges, the hosts pulled away in the latter stages to run out 14-8 winners.

However, the Scottish B2/B3 Mixed Pair are not done yet and they will now face their Welsh counterparts in a shoot-out for the bronze medal.

Athletics

Sammi Kinghorn arrived in Gold Coast as the T53 World Champion at 100m, 200m and 400m but she now faced the prospect of a T54 1500m challenge in the Carrara Stadium.

Sammi was agonisingly close to the medals as she finished the final in fourth place with a time of 3.37.91. Sammi now starts her preparation for her next Gold Coast race as she swops the track for the road for the marathon.

Powerlifting

Mussleburgh’s Micky Yule travelled to Gold Coast to compete in the Men’s Heavyweight Powerlifting competition and looking to improve on his fourth place finish at Glasgow 2014.

Micky successfully lifted 174kg on his final attempt to give him a score of 169.9 points. However, this score was not enough to put him in the medals and he once again finished his Commonwealth Games campaign with a fourth place finish.

Afterwards Yule commented: “That number four is cursing me at the moment. I’m getting closer and closer but just not nailing it down. I’m gutted but I’ll go again for Birmingham, which will be like a home Games for me as I’ll bring the whole of clan Yule down from Scotland!”

Day seven of the Games will see the B2/B3 Mixed Pair compete for the bronze medal on the Broadbeach greens and a Commonwealth Games debut for Maria Lyle in the T35 100m on the track.

For a comprehensive overview of the Gold Coast Games go to;

https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/2018-gold-coast-commonwealth-games/

 

Day five of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games witnessed more action in the pool and an important win on the Broadbeach greens.

Lawn Bowls

Scotland’s Para Lawn Bowlers entered the final fixtures of round robin matches knowing that victories were required to secure progression to the semi-final stages of both the B6/B7/B8 Open Triple and B2/B3 Mixed Pair competitions.

First up were the B2/B3 Mixed Pair who had a record of two wins and two losses to date. Irene Edgar and Robert Barr, with Directors David Thomas and Sarah Jane Ewing were facing the host Nation, Australia knowing that their fate as still in their own hands.

There was little to choose between the two teams in the early stages of the match and after 10 ends the scores were tied at 11-11. However, the Scots upped their game in the closing stages to edge out the Australians to win 15-11. Scotland had secured their place in the B2/B3 semi-finals where they will once again face the Australians. The second semi-final will see South Africa play Wales.

The B6/B7/B8 Open Triple were also in desperate need of a victory in their final round robin match and needed to overcome South Africa if they were to progress to the semi-final.

The Scottish triple of Michael Simpson, Garry Brown and Mike Nicoll fought until the end but lost out 15-7 meaning they failed to qualify for the semi-final stages.

Swimming

Toni Shaw was competing at the Optus Aquatic Centre for the final race in her 2018 Gold Coast programme with the SB9 100m Breaststroke. The Aberdeen youngster posted a time of 1:29.94 in her heat, well inside her personal best of 1:34.98.

Toni brought the curtain down on her Gold Coast Games with a time of 1:27.99 in the final, knocking almost two seconds of her new personal best to secure a seventh place finish.

Day six of the Gold Coast Games will see the B2/B3 Mixed Pair in semi-final action and Sammi Kinghorn take to the track for the first time in the T54 1500m.

For a comprehensive overview of the Gold Coast Games go to;

https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/2018-gold-coast-commonwealth-games/

 

Day four of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games saw action for Scottish Para Athletes in the pool, on the track and on the greens.

Swimming

Aberdeen’s Toni Shaw was back in action at the Optus Aquatic Centre for the S9 100m Freestyle and her time of 1:08.00 in the heats qualified her comfortably for the final later in the day. In the final, Toni set a new personal best time of 1:04.19 to finish in a very creditable fifth place against a quality field.

Athletics

The Gold Coast athletics programme got underway with Scotland’s Amy Carr making her Games debut in the T38 Long Jump. The 18 year old Sports Science student from Stockton-on-Tees travelled to Gold Coast with a personal best of 3.97 and her confidence high after her gold medal in the F35-38 Long Jump at the 2017 IPC World Junior Championships. Amy couldn’t match her top performance in the final recording a jump of 3.65 to finish the event in seventh place.

Lawn Bowls

Scotland’s Para Lawn Bowlers have had mixed fortunes at the Games to date and they were now under pressure to get a win on day four of the round robin. The B6/B7/B8 Open Triple were facing England while B2/B3 Mixed Pair were paired with New Zealand.

The Mixed Pair of Irene Edgar and Robert Barr, with Directors David Thomas and Sarah Jane Ewing were back on top form and recorded a vital and emphatic 23-5 win over New Zealand to leave them on two wins and two defeats going into the last set of round robin fixtures.

It wasn’t such a good day for the Triple of Michael Simpson, Garry Brown and Mike Nicoll who suffered an 18-10 defeat to England leaving them with only one win to date in the round robin fixtures.

However, progression to the semi-finals at Gold Coast is still possible for both the Scottish B2/B3 Mixed Pair and the B6/B7/B8 Open Triple with both in need of victories in the final round of fixtures to ensure progression.

Day five of the Gold Coast Games will see the final round of the Para Lawn Bowls Round Robin with the Scottish B6/B7/B8 Open Triple taking on South Africa and the B2/B3 Mixed Pair facing Australia and Toni Shaw swims in the Optus Aquatic Centre in the SB9 100m Breaststroke.

For a comprehensive overview of the Gold Coast Games go to;

https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/2018-gold-coast-commonwealth-games/