41st AGM and Awards Evening of Disability Sport Fife (SCIO)

The final photograph taken by Rebecca Lee captured the atmosphere of the occasion and the significance of the Awards Evening to so many athletes, players, coaches and volunteers associated with Disability Sport Fife (DSF). The evening was supported by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust.

The Provost of Fife, Councillor Jim Leishman MBE, was the guest of honour at the 41st AGM and Awards Evening of DSF. The Provost was ably assisted by Janice Eaglesham MBE, Chair of Scottish Disability Sport Sport and Oonagh Aitken Chief Executive Officer of Volunteering Matters with the presentation of awards to successful recipients. Caroline Baird MBE and Kerry Hick also assisted with individual presentations.

Disability Sport Fife is indebted to the delegates who turned out in significant numbers to support the event. Over the next few weeks information will be shared about the evening but many thanks to Rebecca for producing such a quality photo within a few hours of the event finishing.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Scotland’s Stephen McGuire won double gold in the BC4 singles and pairs of the BISFed World Open in Montreal.

McGuire – the world and European champion in his BC4 class – beat Canada’s Alison Levine in the final to take gold.  Earlier in the competition he, and playing partner, Evie Edwards defeated Columbia 5-0 in the pairs final.

Scotland also had representation in the BC3 classification, with Scot McCowan, Jamie McCowan and Patrick Wilson all in action.  The trio formed part of a successful GBR pair’s team that delivered a Bronze medal after defeating Hong Kong in the play-off.

Jamie McCowan and Patrick Wilson were also in the singles competition and both players progressed from the group stages.  However, they were knocked out in the quarter finals after defeats to Hansoo Kim (KOR) and Yuen Kei Ho (HKG) respectively.

The tournament is one of the key events ahead of August’s World Championships in Liverpool.

Women from Aberdeen joined the newly-formed Scottish Womens Warriors 2 team this year to compete in the British Wheelchair Basketball’s National Womens League with teams competing from all across the UK in the largest gathering of female wheelchair basketballers in the world. Rachel Gilbert, Vicky Cruickshanks, Eilidh rattray, Vicky Boddice, Sarah Hawken and assistant coach Debbie Baxter all live and play wheelchair basketball for Aberdeen’s local team, the Grampian Flyers.

From all over Scotland women came together this season for the Scottish Women Warriors 2 Team that formed with thanks to Spirit of 2012’s funding gained by the 1st team based in Glasgow. This all-women team trained in Dundee, and journeyed to Nottingham and Sheffield to compete. Entering in at Division 3 for the first time the team’s sporting debut showed strong competitiveness as they soon became the team to watch over the course of the League. The team competed against a pool of 9 teams from all over the UK and succeded in coming 2nd in Divison 3 and has been promoted into National Divison 2 next season.

Debbie Baxter, Assistant Coach, 43: “I am proud of all the hard work these ladies have put into training, and couldn’t be happier with the team’s promotion. Our women’s team have proved that good team spirit and the will to succeed is all you need to go places in sport.”

Eilidh Rattray, Player, 21: “Being part of the women’s team has given me a boost in confidence after having to give up on rugby and kickboxing. Because of our diverse team it really showes me and other that the only disability in life is a bad attitude and that no matter what there is sporting opportunity’s out there for everyone.”

Vicki Boddice. Player, 37: “The win gave me a huge boost, it’s the first time I have had physical success since being in a wheelchair. I feel that Ican achieve so much and that I have a team behind me who would help in any way they can. The women’s team has given me back a social life and belief in myself. It gives me the chance to develop skills and improve my fitness while having some of the best laughs imaginable.”

Grampian Flyers are offering taster sessions for women only in the Aberdeenshire area to come along and try out wheelchair basketball, alongside players from the Scottish Women Warriors 2 team. These sessions are Mondays 6pm-7pm, 23rd April to 2nd July at the Beach Leisure Centre. If anyone is interested in coming along please contact wheelchair@flyersbasketball.co.uk.

Congratulations to Derek Rae from Kirkcaldy and Fife AC who has just won the T45/T46 category at the 2018 World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup in association with the Virgin Money London Marathon.

This is undoubtedly Derek’s major achievement to date in Para athletics and is a fitting reward for all the work he has put into training at home in Fife and during warm weather training in Kenya and Tenerife. Derek’s competition preparations have gone so well this year and he has been looking in particularly good shape recently.

Derek is coached by Ron Morrison at Fife Athletic Club and supported by a team of experts at the Scottish Institute of Sport at the University of Dundee. Family and Fife AC club members have been his rock throughout his career to date.

There will be great celebrations within Disability Sport Fife, Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport at this superb victory for the IPC world ranked number three in the class. Derek has repaid UK Athletics Performance Director Paula Dunn for the faith she has had in from the first time he ran in a GB vest in 2015.

Derek’s time of 2:36:13 was not a personal best but the conditions in London this year were not conducive to record times as was clearly shown in the men’s and women’s elite races. Derek went through the half marathon in 01:15.21.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

Congratulations to Sam Fernando from Gateside and Fife Athletic Club on his personal best time at the British Milers’ Club Regional Races – including Scottish 10,000 metres Championships – at Crownpoint Stadium on Friday 20th April.

Running in the 10,000m B Race, Sam recorded a time of 33:26.24 for a second place finish behind Ben Shaw from Giffnock North who finished in 33:04.85. The ex Bell Baxter HS pupil competes in the under 23 age group and is the leading T20 distance athlete in GB at this time.

Sam’s Fife AC club mate Logan Rees finished second in the A Race in a time of 29:59.43 and Sam’s time placed him 19th overall in the Championships. A remarkable achievement by the young Disability Sport Fife athlete. Logan and Sam are coached in St Andrews by Ron Morrison of Fife AC.

The UK Sports Association for People with Learning Disability and Scottish Disability Sport have circulated details about the forthcoming INAS European Championships in Paris later in the year. Sam along with many other UK athletes will be under consideration and his performance at the GAA/BMC Regional races in Glasgow will have surely enhanced his chances of selection considerably.

Richard Brickley MBE – President Disability Sport Fife

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