Do you live in the Forth Valley area? Would you like to engage in Summer disability sport and physical activity? If so we have lots of opportunities for all ages to get active this summer.
In partnership with Forth Valley Disability Sport branch, our partners and wide range of clubs we have lots on offer this summer across the Forth valley area. Please see all details and booking information attached. We would be delighted to hear from you and see you active this summer!
Gordon Reid produced a brilliant performance on Sunday to beat top seed and world No.3 Gustavo Fernandez 6-2, 6-2 to lift his first wheelchair singles title at the LTA’s cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club in London.
A ground-breaking three days of grass court wheelchair tennis later ended with a second British champion after Jordanne Whiley partnered Japan’s Yui Kamiji to win the women’s doubles title at the Viking Classic Birmingham, where top seed Kamiji also claimed the singles crown at the first ever women’s wheelchair grass court ranking tournament outside Wimbledon.
Reid, runner-up to fellow Brit Alfie Hewett in 2019, claimed his second singles title of 2021 as the 2016 Wimbledon champion beat Argentina’s 2019 Wimbledon champion Fernandez in an hour and 18 minutes. The victorious world No.6 Reid, said:
“It’s a great feeling. Tactically I got it spot on today and executed the game plan pretty convincingly. I served pretty steadily and returned the right spot, so everything combined to give me a good chance to do well. I Iike to slice my backhand, it becomes more effective on the grass and causes a lot of damage. That’s one shot that worked really well today.”
Reid won the last four games of the first set and secured the early break in the second set before completing a clinical performance with a deep cross court backhand that Fernandez was unable to return with any accuracy. The victorious Brit added:
“Just being around here in the grounds and seeing the boards with all the title winners over the years and there are some iconic names on there stretching back a long time, so it’s great that the wheelchair event is here and we are part of a great event with so much history. It’s amazing to have my name on the boards as one of the winners now.”
Fernandez also finished runner-up in the men’s doubles, partnering Dutchman Tom Egberink after Belgium’s Joachim Gerard and Sweden’s Stefan Olsson, the 2019 champions at both The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, recovered to make it back-to-back titles as they wrapped up a thrilling encounter 1-6, 6-7(4), (10-6) after a deciding match tie-break.
There was another pulsating conclusion to the historic women’s singles final in Birmingham as world No.2 Kamiji saved match points in a final set tie-break against world No.3 and 2019 Wimbledon champion Aniek van Koot of the Netherlands to prevail 6-1, 1-6, 7-6(6). Kamiji, who had beaten Whiley 7-5 in the final set of their semi-final on Saturday, said:
“It was very tough and she (Van Koot) is a very good slicer, so it was very difficult to win the points. I tried many things, so I’m happy with my performance today and, of course, it’s a good stepping-stone going into Wimbledon.
“During the doubles final Jordanne reminded me that we had only lost two-times together on grass. It’s very nice to play with her all the time, but especially on grass and in her home country and home town.”
Birmingham-born Whiley and Kamiji won their 22nd career doubles title together as the 11-time Grand Slam champions defeated Montjane and van Koot 6-3, 6-3. A delighted Whiley said:
“I’ve never played a tournament in Birmingham before, so it’s nice to be back home and hear the accent. I feel like this is really good prep for Wimbledon. I don’t feel like I played that well today, if I’m honest, but it’s a massive confidence boost because we got the win.
“In the singles, as well, I put up a good fight because at Roland Garros a couple of weeks ago I lost 6-1, 6-2 to Yui. So it’s a big confidence booster and I’m just looking forward to Wimbledon now.”
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
Photos courtesy of the LTA
Location: Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa, FK10 1EB
Salary: £26,024.52 – £29,254.77 per year pro rata
Contract type: Permanent
Position type: Part Time
Hours: 21 hours per week
Closes: 23/6/2021
In partnership with sportscotland and Clackmannanshire Council co-ordinate and create opportunities, links to competitions, leadership pathways, and lead on inclusion in physical activity and sport for pupils with additional support needs across Clackmannanshire linking primary, special, secondary and club activities into local, regional and national events and competitions.
Full information is on the sportscotland website here: https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/clackmannanshire-council/jobs/active-schools-coordinator-additional-support-needs-221333
‘Come and Try Athletics’ – Tuesday 20th July – 4.30pm-6pm. George Duncan Athletics Arena, Perth PH1 5BF
Perth Strathtay Harriers are delighted to offer a ‘Come and Try Athletics‘ session at the George Duncan Athletics Arena, Perth on Tuesday 20th July – 4.30pm-6pm.
Working with Perth & Kinross Disability Sport, Scottish Disability Sport and Scottish Athletics, this free event is open to anyone aged 5 years to senior with physical, sensory or learning disabilities and related conditions from across Tayside the surrounding area to try out a range of run, jump and throw athletic disciplines including wheelchair racing and frame running.
Registration is essential to ensure the event is run in accordance with COVID safety protocols. To register, please click on the link – https://sds.azolve.com/workbench/public/events?ref=792E1BB1EF8669DDFD0F0928192C231542583495
Scottish Disability Sport Tayside Regional Development Manager, Graeme Doig tells us:
“Perth Strathtay Harriers have a fantastic track record for encouraging people of all ages and abilities into Athletics participation and developing Pathways to progress in the sport. Last year, the club won the Scottish Athletics Janice Eaglesham Para Development Club of the Year award. As the title suggests, it celebrates the clubs integrated approach to training and developing Para athletes. With Pathways into the Harriers weekly session, this event is fantastic opportunity to try new skills, meet new people, gain confidence and have FUN!”
As places are limited, make sure you register ASAP.
For more information, please contact Graeme Doig – Graeme.doig@scottishdisabilitysport.com or Jim Hunter at Perth Strathtay Harriers – j_m_hunter@btinternet.com.
The Harriers weekly disability inclusion sessions are every Tuesday, 5pm-6pm for 5-8 year olds and Tuesday 6pm-7pm for anyone over 8 years old at George Duncan Athletics Arena, next to Perth Grammar School.
Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) enjoy a close relationship with basketballscotland and continue to work collaboratively to support and develop opportunities for participants with disabilities to play basketball across the country.
Participation opportunities are available to all individuals, including players with a learning disability and those with a physical disability via running and wheelchair formats of the game. The inclusive nature of the sport enables players of all abilities, regardless of experience or background to come together, become connected and get involved.
Para Sport Festivals
Basketball is a mainstay at the SDS Para Sport Festivals with many children and young people given a taste of the sport for the first time under the watchful eye of basketballscotland’s Disability Talent & Pathways Manager Tina Gordon who is quick to identify and support anyone who is keen to take the sport further. Para Sport Festivals have been a key method of engaging school aged young people at grassroots level and supporting them into club activity and we hope to continue this trend as we return to sport post pandemic.
Clubs
As mentioned, there are opportunities to play the sport across the country and more details of these sessions can be found via the interactive map here.
There are currently six wheelchair basketball clubs across Scotland, ranging from more established clubs like Lothian Phoenix, Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club and West of Scotland Wheelchair Sports Club (Glasgow Rolling Rocks) to recently developed opportunities like Perth Eagles Wheelchair Sports Club.
In addition to established club activity, there are also sessions delivered at the Crags Centre in Edinburgh offering ‘pick up’ wheelchair basketball sessions and opportunities for young people on the autism spectrum disorder.
Players with Learning Disabilities
Opportunities for players with learning disabilities are primarily driven by Special Olympics branches and supported by basketballscotland. There is a strong basketball presence for players with a learning disability in the West of Scotland and Tayside while other regions are also looking to establish and develop activity, creating more opportunity across the country.
Leading Performers
Ayr born Robyn Love is Scotland’s leading wheelchair basketball player having represented GB Women since 2015 where she assisted the team to a sliver medal at the Osaka Cup in Japan. The 3.5 point player also represented GB Women at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio and is focused on her second Games, which are scheduled to take place in Tokyo later this year (2021).
You can listen to Robyn’s journey on the SDS Paracast, with Robyn’s episode due to be released on Thursday 17th June.
Coach, Education and Training Opportunities
basketballscotland have developed their coach education pathway to ensure that inclusion is a golden thread that runs through each course from the introductory ‘Make It Happen’ to the UKCC Level 2. This inclusive approach allows developing coaches to gain an understanding of disability basketball and provides the required support should they wish to focus on this.
Visit the basketballscotland website for more information
Contact: Tina Gordon, Disability Talent & Pathways Manager – tina.gordon@basketball-scotland.com
Look out for more Spotlight on Basketball content this week on our website and social media channels!
Lesley Stewart from Scotland and Scottish Target Shooting’s inclusive Performance Programme has secured bronze and a Tokyo Paralympic quota place for ParalympicsGB at the World Shooting Para Sport Lima World Cup 2021.
It was a fantastic performance in the Women’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions SH1 with Lesley securing a final score of 427.0 after a strong final round pulling away from her rival from South Korea, Yoojeong Lee, who finished in 4th with a score of 414.5.
Ukraine’s Iryna Shchetnik won the gold medal with a score of 448.1 and Thailand’s Wannipa Leungvilai who secured silver with 443.0.
Lesley’s quota makes it seven places in total for the GB Paralympic team with Issy Bailey, Jimmy Bevis, Ryan Cockbill, Tim Jeffrey, Lorraine Lambert and Matt Skelton all having been confirmed onto the team in January this year.
Huge congratulations to Lesley who only returned to the sport a few years ago after taking a break from the sport. Big congratulations as well to Lesley’s coaching team who have worked so hard to help her prepare for the event and will look to support her over the coming months if she is selected for Tokyo on the back of this achievement. It is a compliment to the STS Performance Programme’s inclusive approach to running the programme, adopted following the transfer of the programme to STS following the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. STS has also been working with Scottish Disability Sport to provide the best possible support to athletes with a disability on the programme, and British Shooting through her involvement in their Academy programme.
Lesley shoots again today (14 June 2021) in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1 competition in Lima, with the pressure off having secured a quota place for the team (and hopefully a spot on the plan for herself)!
Video: Watch Lesley’s final on youtube here
Article reproduced with permission from Scottish Target Shooting (STS)
Huge congratulations to South Ayrshire athlete Kayleigh Haggo who broke the World Record and got a Personal Best in the RR3 100m at the European Championships in Poland last week (Friday 4th June).
It was a long day of travelling for Kayleigh and coach John Owens who arrived in Poland late on the Tuesday night. Wednesday and Thursday were spent trying to relax ahead of the race on Friday, along with a couple of light training sessions each day.
Race Day is always nerve-wracking, and this was not helped by the race not being until 7pm in the evening. During the day Kayleigh had a long lie, tried to chill while watching some of the live streaming of the event and then taking a nap. All nerves go for Kayleigh when she arrives at the venue and goes through the call room procedures and warm up. Waiting around for this is the worst part of it all.
About 10 minutes before the race, it started to rain which made it feel more like Scotland. Kayleigh was feeling relaxed on the start line as knew she had done everything she could and just had a job to do. You can be as prepared as you can but never know what other people may do on the day. As soon as the gun fired it was head down and go. Once crossed the line was just sheer delight that all the hard work had paid off.
The process is very rushed after the race with Kayleigh being whisked off for photos and media. Its then quickly to collect all her belongings from the track, then a quick change before for the medal ceremony which was the best feeling.
Early flight home the next day to self-isolate for 10 days (with the exemption from British Athletics for training purposes) so still feels like it hasn’t sunk in. Next up for Kayleigh is continuing to train and looking at competitions to compete in locally over the next few months.
We are all so proud of Kayleigh, just goes to show hard work definitely pays off!
At the close of #UKCoachingWeek, SDS would like to acknowledge and thank all coaches who have such a positive impact on participants enjoying physical activity and sport.
Thank you to all the coaches who have kept in contact with all their participants over the last year and keep up the great sessions as we return to sport.
Here’s just a few thoughts from some returning coaches here:
Former SDS Athlete Academy archer, Nathan MacQueen, sets sights on Paralympic glory in Tokyo. Click on the link below to read the full story covered in the recent SportFirst publication by sportscotland.
https://sportfirst.sportscotland.org.uk/articles/macqueens-gambit/
Britain’s Alfie Hewett, Gordon Reid, Jordanne Whiley and Andy Lapthorne begin their French Open wheelchair tennis challenges at Roland Garros on Friday, with the quartet of players on the LTA’s Wheelchair Performance Pathway bidding to build on the 44 Grand Slam titles they have so far amassed between them.
World No.4 Whiley arrives in Paris in fine form, having beaten Dutch world No.3 Aniek van Koot to reach the final of her first clay court tournament of the season last week in Le Touquet, Whiley went on to take a set from world No.2 Yui Kamiji for the first time since the 2015 US Open final when they met in the final in Le Touquet. Having led the final set 5-3 before finishing runner-up to Kamiji, Whiley said:
“I’m disappointed to have lost to Yui last week, but I can see so many positives going into Roland Garros. I had a disaster at the Loughborough Indoor at the end of March, where I lost to Aniek in the semis and I really knuckled down after that. Now I feel like I’m in a really good place and I have high hopes for Roland Garros.”
Among Whiley’s hopes for Roland Garros are to add to the 11 Grand Slam doubles titles she has won partnering best friend Kamiji after they won their 21st career doubles title together in Le Touquet last week.
“Obviously it was great to be back playing with Yui for the first time since Roland Garros last October, where we just missed out in a match tie-break in the final. We had some competitive matches in Le Touquet and it’s left us feeling strong for our return to Paris,” added Whiley.
Friday afternoon’s wheelchair draw at Roland Garros could see Whiley drawn against either Kamiji or van Koot as one of seven possible first round opponents for her opening match on Friday.
Equally, defending Roland Garros men’s singles champion world No.3 Alfie Hewett and fellow Brit and world No.4 Gordon Reid could find themselves drawn against either of the world’s top two ranked players, Shingo Kunieda and Gustavo Fernandez. Hewett bowed out to world No.2 Fernandez in the semi-finals in Le Toquet but beat the Argentinian in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last October, having also beaten Fernandez to win his first career Grand Slam title in Paris in 2017.
A quarter-finalist in Le Touquet before his singles challenge ended against world No.1 Kunieda, Reid has faced Fernandez in his two Roland Garros men’s singles finals to date, in 2016 and 2019.
Aside from their singles title bids, Hewett and Reid will also hope to become the outright holders of the record for most Grand Slam doubles titles won by any all-British partnership. After winning their first Roland Garros doubles title together in October last year they added their second Australian Open title in January and currently share the British record of 10 Grand Slam titles with brothers Laurie and Reginald, won their 10 Grand Slam titles between 1897 and 1905.
Quad singles world No.2 and 12-time Grand Slam doubles champion Lapthorne heads into his second appearance at Roland Garros on the back of finishing runner-up to Dutchman Niels Vink in Le Touquet last week and seeking a career Grand Slam of doubles titles. He said:
“It’s great to be back in Paris after a decent performance at my first clay court event of the season last week. Roland Garros is this only Grand Slam at which I’ve not won a singles or doubles title so far and I’ll be doing all I possibly can to change that this year and add to my 12 trophies from the Slams.”
With Vink not among Lapthorne’s potential semi-final singles opponents in Paris, the Rio Paralympic silver medallist will face a singles semi-final against either Australia’s Dylan Alcott, Dutchman Sam Schroder or the USA’s David Wagner.
Lapthorne will also partner Wagner for the quad doubles, the Anglo-American duo having previously won three Australian Open and two US Open quad doubles titles together.
For news and updates from the wheelchair tennis draws and the fortunes of the Brits at the French Open at Roland Garros, follow on Twitter @the_LTA and @WChairTennisGB.
Photo courtesy of LTA
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