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.

David McArdle of the SFA organised the programme for the event and it was heartening to see 7 sections represented on the day, an increase of 2 from 2016. 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.

It proved to be a very successful tournament, once again, for teams from the West of Scotland, with 6 out of the 7 competitions being won by teams from this region, demonstrating the strength of the clubs and players in this area. Glasgow Firhill emerged victorious in the Premiership division defeating Highland in the final in a repeat of the previous two year results, Claremont Colts defeated last year’s champions Blantyre to win the Championship title, however Blantyre dominated the League 1 section with both their teams reaching the final. Claremont sealed the League 2 title with Glasgow Ladies seeing off Dundee’s St James in the female section.

Carrongrange schools a terrific event this year as their A squad took the A title with victory over Lothian in the Junior A section. Glasgow’s talented Abercorn team just proved too strong for them in the Junior B section, however.

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

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

 

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) and the Scottish Indoor Bowling Association (SIBA) were delighted to hold the 2^nd annual National Indoor Para Bowls Singles Championships once again at Falkirk IBC. The event originally arose out of a willingness of various stakeholders agreeing to work together to make this new event possible and complete the circle of competition in all formats of the sport. SDS, SIBA, Scottish Association of Blind Bowlers (SABB) and Scottish Deaf Bowlers Association (SDBA) all contributed to this event and evidences what can be achieved by strong partnership working. The event has proven to be an exciting addition to the bowling calendar and was further strengthened by the involvement this year of Co-op Funeralcare who have committed to the sponsorship of this event for at least the next three years.

The event continues to grow with 63 bowlers competing over three days of competition – an increase on competitors and days from 2016. Plans are already in place to grow further for 2018 with SIBA committing to providing trophies for each section.

The first day of the event witnessed the bowlers with a learning disability competing over three sections for the title of national champion.

28^th April

The bowlers with a learning disability section featured 24 bowlers from four SDS branches and a high quality field turned out for the second opportunity at a national indoor title.

In the Male A section an all-Fife clash saw Daryl Stewart defeat Craig Donaldson by the narrowest of margins in an enthralling final with plenty quality on show.

The Female A section featured last year’s champion – Lothian bowler Amanda Craig and a bowler who has had a phenomenal season with her club, Fife’s Pamela Mitchell. Both bowlers began strongly before Pamela eased away following the fifth end to finish on top.

An all Lothian final in the Gents B section culminated with last year’s finalist Christina McSherry edging out her stablemate Euan Wright.

29^th April

The deaf bowlers featured one male section and one female section. Once again, it was a real pleasure to welcome the deaf bowlers to the event and thanks have to go to Keith Hyland – secretary of the SDBA for his co-ordination and in his role as interpreter during the event.

Morris Cavanagh (Lothian) won the male section finishing ahead of Billy Paxton (Glasgow) 21-10. Charlotte Simpson (Glasgow) proved too strong in the final defeating Isabella Ingram (Dundee) by the same score.

The bowlers with a visual impairment had two sections B2/B3 for Male & Female. The Fife Pocket Rocket Maria Spencer defended her title with aplomb and defeated fellow IBD World Champion Irene Edgar (Ayrshire) in the female section.

Irene’s husband Billy Edgar – another gold medallist from New Zealand 2015 – defeated Fife’s Ian Graham in the final 21-15. Three of the four finalists in these sections have been selected to represent Scotland at the upcoming 8 Nations Test Series in Gold Coast, Australia in June. Irene, Billy and Maria will travel with a squad of 18 players, directors and coaches who will join up with their mainstream counterparts in the southern hemisphere for a fortnight of competition as a qualifier for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

30^th April

Four females competed in the open section for female bowlers with a physically disability.  Barbara McMillan, Tracy Black, Mary Wilson and Rosemary Lenton completed the round robin section. The final was contested between the two vastly experienced bowlers Barbara McMillan (Fife) and Rosemary Lenton (Dumfries & Galloway). A resounding victory for Barbara by 21 shots to 8 proved her hard work in the close season has begun to bear fruit.

The B6 male section saw an increase of 100% in competitors which illustrates the strength in depth of this section following a period of identification of players. Despite the expanded section two familiar names contested the final. Billy Allan (Fife) avenged his semi-final knockout last year by defeating Lothian’s Gary Clelland 21 shots to 9.

The section for B7/8 Male bowlers grew in numbers by 3 from 2016 and the final proved to be a repeat of the 2016 edition with South Lanarkshire’s Garry Brown defeating Ayrshire’s John Wardrope by a slightly more comfortable score of 21-16 than his one –shot victory last year. Celebrations continued for these two bowlers as they discovered – along with Billy Allan – that they too had been selected to join Team Scotland on the trip down under.

Indoor bowling offers significant competitive and participation opportunities to bowlers. Therefore, after the continued success of this event, every effort should be made to develop and encourage its expansion throughout the branches and regions.

There are clearly bowlers playing regularly that are still to be identified by SDS and its member branches and continued efforts should be made to engage as far and wide with all partners in the bowling community to enable the sport to continue to grow. This should ensure bowlers with a disability access established pathways and keep Scotland at the forefront of this great sport internationally.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is the recognised governing body for para bowls in Scotland and is tasked with selecting a squad that is capable of delivering medals at the highest levels of international competition, including the Home Nations Championships, IBD World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.  Scotland is considered to be one of the leading countries within the sport and our mission is to become the number one para bowls nation in the world.

With the inclusion of two events within the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games para programme – Mixed Pair B2/B3 and Open Triple B6/B7/B8 – preparations have accelerated.  As a result SDS, along with the coaching staff, have been in the process of monitoring performances within the current programme in order to select a group of players tasked with ensuring Scotland’s qualification for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.  This group of players will compete at the Gold Coast Para-Sport Lawn Bowls Competition from the 4 – 7 June 2017 at Broadbeach Bowls Club in Australia.

Selection decisions are always difficult and given the strength and depth that we now have in the programme this has become even more challenging, with competition or places extremely high.

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

“SDS are delighted to announce a strong field of players to compete at the Gold Coast Para-Sport Lawn Bowls Competition.  Selection decisions were extremely difficult but we feel the group has a good blend of experience, youth and a strong sense of team unity, which is vital for pairs and triples disciplines. We look forward to the event next month and have every confidence in the players we have selected. Furthermore, we are delighted to be receiving various support services via the sportscotand Institute of Sport, in order to ensure our players are in the best possible position to deliver at the Commonwealth Games in 2018”.

Open Triples B6/B7/B8

Player	Classification	Town	Local Authority
Billy Allan	B6	Cowdenbeath	Fife
Mike Nicoll	B6	Jedburgh	Scottish Borders
Garry Brown	B7	Kirkmuirhill	South Lanarkshire
Martin Hunter	B7	Burntisland	Fife
Michael Simpson	B7	Auchtermuchty	Fife
John Wardrope	B7	Ayr	South Ayrshire
Reserves
Barbara McMillan	B7	Cowdenbeath	Fife
Gary Clelland	B6	Linlithgow	West Lothian

 

Mixed Pair B2/B3

Robert Barr	B3	Glasgow	Glasgow
Billy Edgar	B3	Saltcoats	North Ayrshire
Irene Edgar	B2	Saltcoats	North Ayrshire
Maria Spencer	B3	Dunfermline	Fife
Reserve
Mary Stevenson	B2	Barrhead	Renfrewshire

 

Directors

Director	Town	Local Authority
Sarah-Jane Ewing	Dunfermline	Fife
Ron McArthur	Falkirk	Falkirk
Christine Morrow	Dalmuir	Clydebank
David Thomas	Ardrossan	North Ayrshire

Coaches

Coaches	Town	Local Authority
Bob Dick (Head Coach)	Cupar	Fife
Chris McGready	Perth	Perth & Kinross
Eric McMillan	Cowdenbeath	Fife
Nigel Walker	Dalgety Bay	Fife

 

Scottish Disability Sport and Scottish Athletics returned to Bellahouston Park, Glasgow for the 2017 National Cross-Country Championships.

After some inclement weather and traffic challenges ensured the original date for this event was cancelled, a date was secured at the same venue in late April for another attempt at this event. Met office warnings of snow were unwelcome and, fortunately, unfounded although runners and officials can testify to the temperature fast approaching zero!

SDS and scottishathletics were pleased to welcome back the majority of runners entered for the original date, with a few more also able to compete thanks to the postponement. The course was looking excellent with spring daffodils providing a picturesque landscape for the runners to enjoy throughout the race.

The East and West series continues to grow apace with more entries and more races taking place each year.

The event featured races across three distances with competitors from primary age-groups to seniors with every secondary school stage also represented.

In the absence of the experienced GB athlete Owen Miller, fellow Fifer Sam Fernando secured the Open Senior 3k title with his stablemate Carter Taylor finishing second, followed by Forth Valley’s George Le Hardy.

Grampian’s Carl Furmann won the Senior title in the 1k race, finishing ahead of Forth Valley’s Liam Nolan, however the fastest 1k time of the day fell to Hamilton Grammar’s Alexander Thomson who won the S4 boys category in a time of 4.20.

A large entry in the girls sections was pleasing to see with Kimberley Walker transitioning from Primary to Secondary seamlessly adding the S1 female title to the primary title she won here last year. Further female successes came from Lochgelly’s Louise Harley (2k Girls Gold), Merkland’s Sara Stevenson (1k S4 Girls Gold) and Amy McAllister (1k S5-6 Girls Gold) amongst others.

The future for Cross Country is bright with impressive performances in the Primary section from representatives of Drummore, Firpark, Merkland and Craigmarloch. This is such an accessible sport for primary age pupils with varying distances available and plenty events to choose from. Jayden Okolo (Drummore) and Elliot Higgins (Merkland) were the girl and boy winners respectively.

Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport would like to highlight the work done by all the many volunteers and officials that ensure the event runs smoothly on the day, especially Angus Cameron and Doleen Galbraith – significant supporters of disability athletics.

Cross-country is an excellent route into athletics for youngsters around Scotland and strong programmes exist in various areas of the country from Highland to the Lanarkshires, Perth & Kinross which supplement the very successful series in the West of Scotland and the East of Scotland. SDS and Scottish Athletics would urge any youngsters interested in trying out Cross-Country to contact their local branch or the SDS office to find out how to access the sport.

If you are interested in finding out more about this event or any other Scottish Disability Sport event please contact Mark Gaffney on 013 625 4417 or at mark.gaffney@scottishdisabilitysport.com.

Thanks to Laurence Bisset for the cover photo and for further photos on the day.

 

The Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed) has awarded the rights to host the 2018 World Championships to Boccia UK. The competition, which is the biggest and most prestigious on the international calendar outside the Paralympic Games, will be hosted at Exhibition Centre Liverpool from the 9^th to 19^th August 2018.

Boccia is a Paralympic sport with no Olympic equivalent. It is a target ball sport designed for athletes with impairments affecting all four limbs. Having watched the sport in London 2012, sportswriter Simon Barnes wrote “It’s the heart and soul of the Paralympic Games. Or of all sport. You haven’t seen sport until you’ve seen boccia.”

Following sold out crowds in London 2012 and Rio 2016 the sport continues to grow apace internationally and 192 athletes will travel to Liverpool in 2018 in their quest to become World Champion. A truly international sport, the medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games were shared between Europe, Asia and the Americas while more countries in Oceania and Africa are taking part in BISFed sanctioned competitions every year.

The organising committee aims to deliver the best World Championships the sport has seen. Hosted in Exhibition Centre Liverpool, an 8,100m² venue on the banks of Liverpool’s world heritage waterfront with accommodation on site, the athlete experience will be second to none. Situated in Liverpool city centre, the event aims to attract thousands of spectators to create a memorable atmosphere and introduce people to a fascinating technical and tactical sport they might not have come across before.

John Dowson, Chair of Boccia UK, said:

“We are thrilled to be hosting the BISFed World Championships in Liverpool next year. This is the largest Boccia event on the international calendar in terms of athlete numbers and gives an excellent opportunity for innovation in showcasing the sport at a stunning location. We are extremely grateful to UK Sport and the National Lottery for their financial contribution through their Major Events Programme and to the City of Liverpool who will provide an unrivalled experience for both athletes and spectators”

David Hadfield, President of BISFed, said:

“I am very pleased that the BISFed 2018 World Championships will be hosted by Boccia UK in the wonderful city of Liverpool. Boccia is the fastest-growing Paralympic sport and we expect the competition to attract more countries and more athletes than ever to an international boccia event. I am looking forward to seeing an extraordinary demonstration of para sport in a very exciting and innovative setting.”

David Smith MBE, two-time Paralympic Gold medallist and Boccia UK athlete, said:

“I am so excited that the BISFed 2018 World Championships will be held in the UK. Performing in front of a home crowd in London 2012 was one of the finest moments of my career. I know the people of Liverpool are sports mad and I really hope they will take Boccia to their hearts to give my team mates and I a huge boost on the road to Tokyo. I hope that by creating the most interactive and entertaining Boccia competiton ever we will put Boccia firmly in the public consciousness and inspire the local and national disability community to get involved in the sport.”

Joe Anderson OBE, Mayor of Liverpool, said:

“This is fantastic news and a demonstration of Liverpool’s ability to secure and deliver major sporting events. Whether it’s athletics, netball, triathlons, gymnastics, boxing, running and now Boccia, Liverpool has proved itself time and again as the perfect host to showcase a wide range of sports. We take it extremely seriously and have world class venues matched with passionate fans, providing a unique welcome. Sport is in our DNA and we will work hard to bring an enthusiastic audience that will be fair, welcoming and supportive of all athletes and participating nations and showcase Boccia to the world.”

Tim Hollingsworth OBE, CEO of the British Paralympic Association, said:

“It is terrific news that Boccia UK will host the BISFed World Championships next year giving British crowds the opportunity to watch Boccia here in the UK. We have a proud tradition of success in Boccia at Paralympic level – this is built on outstanding performances at major championships, such as the Worlds, and I am sure that British athletes will be keen to perform once again in front of home support. The World Championships will also be a major part of the GB team’s preparations for Tokyo 2020 so it will be a good testing ground ahead of the Games.

“I congratulate the team at Boccia UK on all their hard work to win the right to host the Championships. I know they will put on a fantastic event and I look forward to attending next year.”

The Scottish Disability Sport Para Bowls team competed at the Home Nation Championships at the Newport Indoor Bowls Stadium in Wales from Friday 21st April to Sunday 23rd April.

Teams from England, Wales and Scotland competed in singles, pairs, triples and fours across the physically disabled and visually impaired sections, for the honour of being crowned Home Nations Champions. This was the first of two of these events in an extremely busy year, with the focus being Commonwealth Games 2018 qualification.

The Scottish programme is buoyed with talent at present and a team of twenty seven bowlers, directors and coaches were selected to compete and defend the trophy won in 2016 at Kelvingrove International Bowls Centre in Glasgow. Scotland traditionally excel in the outdoor environment, however indoor bowls is a completely different proposition, which has historically been England’s forte.

Indoor bowls has become the priority heading into the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games due to the lightening quick green speeds that will welcome our players in Australia. No outdoor surface in Scotland can replicate that environment and as a result Scotland’s indoor play has improved dramatically.

The format of the event dictated that each match was worth two points, with 48 being available across the weekend. Scotland’s target was 32 – enough to win the competition – but in the end we had to settle for 30, resulting in a runners up place with England lifting the trophy. Ultimately, one more victory against England would have been enough, and there were numerous close matches across several rinks, but it wasn’t to be.

Scotland congratulate England on their success but our coaching team have taken many positives from the performances, which included varying combinations of players, formations and directors that was tested against tough international opponents. Furthermore, several new players made their international debut and it was a great opportunity for the players and staff to travel together and build upon the already strong team dynamic. In the long run this will aid the Scottish preparations for the Multi-Nations event at the beginning of June, which will ultimately qualify the nation for the Games itself.

There were several notable performances across the board but the team, via Captain Michael Simpson, highlighted John Wardrope (B7) for special mention. He was the only member of the squad to win all four of the games he competed, with a string of mature performances in two pair’s ties, alongside Martin Hunter and two fours ties, alongside Billy Allan, Barbara McMillan and Michael Simpson.

SDS would like to thank all the coaches, players and directors for their efforts over the course of the weekend and throughout the year thus far.

For a full list of players please click here.

Geraint Richards, the Tennis Foundation’s Head of Disability Player Performance, today announced his players selected to represent Great Britain in the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Alghero, Sardinia, Italy, from 1 – 7 May 2017.

Great Britain will be competing in three of four events at the International Tennis Federation’s flagship wheelchair tennis event.

The teams will be:

Men’s Event – captained by Karen Ross

•  Gordon Reid (Glasgow)
• Alfie Hewett (Cantley)
• Dermot Bailey (Kettering)

Quad Event – captained by Stuart Wilkinson

•  Andy Lapthorne (Eastcote)
• Antony Cotterill (Penistone)
• James Shaw (Nottingham)

Junior Event – captained by Rob Cross

•  Ruairi Logan (Edinburgh)
• Alex Chaston (Greenwich, London)
• George Davies (Coventry)

Great Britain made history at the 2015 BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Antalya, Turkey, winning a first gold medal in the top tier of the men’s event after Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett beat France in both singles rubbers in the final.

Meanwhile, Andy Lapthorne and Antony Cotterill were both members of the Great Britain team that won the most recent of four World Team Cup titles to date in 2014.

2016 National School Games boys’ singles gold medallist Ruairi Logan will represent Great Britain in the junior event for the third time alongside squad debutants Alex Chaston and George Davies.

“I’ve got really great memories from 2015 and I think we’ve got a great chance of winning the title against after the bronze medal last year,” said Reid. “Last year’s World Team Cup was the first I’d missed since first being selected as a junior, as Roland Garros was soon afterwards, so I’m excited to be back in the team this year and the possibilities for us.

“When we beat Paralympic champions Stephane Houdet and Nico Peifer in the Super Series final in South Africa a couple of weeks ago that was the first time me and Alfie had been on court together since Rio, so given that I expect France to be our toughest opponents it was a good way to go to the World Team Cup.”

“The World Team Cup is a very different event and I’ve got some great memories and am excited for next week,” said Lapthorne. “We’ve got quite a new team with Jamie Burdekin having now retired and James Shaw coming in for the second year. Myself and Antony are unbeaten in doubles for quite a long time now and are very confident about what we can do. I think there are three or four teams that can do some damage this time so we’ll be doing our best to regain the title.”

Geraint Richards commented: “While 2016 was an exceptional year for British wheelchair tennis as we returned from the Rio Paralympics with six medals and as the most successful wheelchair tennis nation, recent World Team Cups have also produced some memorable victories for our men’s, quad and junior teams and we look forward to challenging for more medals in Sardinia.

”To have both our Rio Paralympic men’s singles and doubles finalists Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett and Rio quad singles finalist Andy Lapthorne headlining this year’s GB squad of nine players is obviously very exciting. All three have plenty of World Team Cup experience to draw on and with Gordon, Alfie and Antony Cotterill having all enjoyed Super Series doubles victories earlier this month I am confident that we have a well-prepared squad that will do Great Britain and the Tennis Foundation Wheelchair Tennis World Class Programme proud once again.”

Photos courtesy of the Tennis Foundation.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) is delighted to launch a new strategic plan which will direct the work of the Association through to 2021 and beyond. The plan, entitled “Inspiring Through Inclusion 2017-2021“, has been developed following a comprehensive consultation process with key partners and strategic bodies across Scotland.

This Association’s vision is to lead inclusive sport in Scotland for participants and athletes with a physical, sensory or learning disability.

Scottish Disability Sport passionately believes in leading and developing inclusive opportunities and improving performance. This will ensure that any child, young person or adult with a disability can participate in sport and physical activity – no matter ability, geography or age. SDS will consolidate, develop and work in partnership to transform lives through the power of sport, focusing on five key areas:

ENGAGE AND PARTICIPATE – Identify, engage and sustain participant involvement through quality sporting opportunities

PROGRESS AND PERFORM – Supporting athletes to achieve their potential in performance sport

COACHING, EDUCATION AND LEARNING – Supporting quality assured training, development and learning opportunities

GOVERNANCE – Building a robust and accountable organisation with sound planning, policy and procedures

COMMUNICATION – Targeted, effective communication to all partners and individuals

Inclusion remains at the heart of the new strategic plan and is to be driven through a refreshed “Sports Inclusion Mode (SIM)” that will permeate throughout the work of the Association. SDS will work through the SIM with coaches, volunteers, clubs, activity sessions, schools, tertiary education, and all key stakeholders working in physical education, physical activity and sport to ensure inclusion is considered at all levels of the sporting pathway.

At all times, SDS will ensure an equitable approach to all aspects of the strategic plan and will also ensure that safe and secure environments are provided for all children, athletes, players, coaches, volunteers, officials and spectators.

“Inspiring Through Inclusion 2017-2021” is hot off the press and is in the process of being distributed widely to all key partners and stakeholders across Scotland.

In the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon, Derek Rae from Kirkcaldy and Fife AC ran a personal best time by over four minutes to record 02:33:24.

Derek was running for Team Great Britain in the World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup and finished third in the T45/T46 class. This was by far Derek’s best marathon performance to date against the world’s leading runners in his class.

The two athletes who finished ahead of him were Alex Pires Da Silva (Brazil) 02:28:20 and Abelhadi El Harti from Morocco 02:29:38. In 2016 they were ranked 2nd and 4th in the world and Derek was ranked 8th. Derek’s 2017 run could move him up at least two places in the world standings.

In each of his London Marathons to date Derek has recorded personal best times. Derek’s long term aim is to gain selection for Team GB for his second Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. The run this year clearly indicates the British number one continues to make progress towards his overall goal. Brilliant performance Derek and congratulations.

Richard Brickley MBE
President, Disability Sport Fife